IS THIS A SOLUTION TO ENCRYPTION?

[WB3DYE]

Emergency radio enthusiasts in Lincoln will soon lose live access to the city's primary police dispatch channels.

Instead, the Lincoln Police Department will publish an online feed that is delayed by 10 minutes — the expected response window for officers' highest-priority calls.

News outlets, including the Journal Star, will be allowed to maintain real-time access to the primary channels, both to ensure accountability and enable immediate community notification when situations broadly impact public safety

Lincoln police channels to be encrypted; city to offer public delayed feed

 

[iMONITOR]

It's far from being a solution. I guess it might help my wife understand why I'm not home yet because I just got car jacked and killed after pulling into a gas station when an armed robbery was in progress.

 

[zz0468]

It's far from being a solution. I guess it might help my wife understand why I'm not home yet because I just got car jacked and killed after pulling into a gas station when an armed robbery was in progress.

And yet for those who claim encryption makes law enforcement less accountable because the press no longer has access, it IS the solution.

In order to define something as a solution, one must first define what the problem is. Is the problem one of accountability and open government? Or is the problem one of public use of radio transmissions not intended for public use. While you have a perfectly valid concern, that infrastructure wasn't put there for you to decide where it's safe to get gas.

 

[jrothwell]

This is not a solution. So, instead of using my APX radio to receive clear and reliable audio anywhere for free, I would now have to tie up my cell phone to receive a very poor quality audio stream and use up all of my cellular data that I have to pay for? Also, I can't easily change channels or scan if I wanted. I would not be able to monitor in the event of a disaster when the power and internet is out either. Streaming sucks.

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

Is there a way to switch it on and off on the fly, or have two dispatch channels, one encrypted and one open? That way you can tell a unit “switch to 2” tell them the private info and the switch to primary.

 

[jrothwell]

Is there a way to switch it on and off on the fly, or have two dispatch channels, one encrypted and one open? That way you can tell a unit “switch to 2” tell them the private info and the switch to primary.

Yes, absolutely. They choose not to. That’s typically how encryption has been used in the past on dispatch channels, it’s switched on when sensitive information is transmitted, then switched back off. This is how it was for years in my city. Recently they went 100% encrypted for “officer safety.” State police still only uses it selectively and there is another department that compromised and made channel 2 encrypted as you suggested.

 

[RayAir]

The majority of transmissions on public safety radio systems should be encrypted by default.
If a department is providing a delayed stream you should consider yourself lucky if you desire to monitor it.
Akron PD here, provides a delayed stream.
That is considerate of them and appreciated.

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

The majority of transmissions on public safety radio systems should be encrypted by default.
If a department is providing a delayed stream you should consider yourself lucky if you desire to monitor it.
Akron PD here, provides a delayed stream.
That is considerate of them and appreciated.

Why do you think they should?

 

[Giddyuptd]

I believe inevitably you'll see more official feeds and or secondary use that is heavy that's secured where radios can be regrouped easily with those that have capability.

I know one city testing it out in NM with using a secondary E dispatch channel and they like it as it's been done pretty heavy on priority test calls for testing with regrouping. Nobody has noticed yet with scanners. But they are trunked.

Few others are considering a delayed stream from their official dept page that can be killed if needed.

As mentioned some should feel lucky of that is even offered with official streams.

 

[Citywide173]

And yet for those who claim encryption makes law enforcement less accountable because the press no longer has access, it IS the solution.

Right up until the point where they decide the press is no longer worthy of that access and they stun the radio. Many stories of the radio in the newsroom suddenly going quiet. These stories are more disturbing when it happens to only one radio after that outlet did a story that resulted in poor PR for the department.

 

[coolrich55]

Some departments get it right. Dispatch channel clear, everything else encrypted.

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

Some departments get it right. Dispatch channel clear, everything else encrypted.

I would be ok with that for the most part. I honestly don’t care about officers running drivers licenses and the such.

 

[RayAir]

Why do you think they should?

To put a nail in the coffin of things like streaming, especially online services that have monetized it.

 

[iMONITOR]

Monitoring a conversation 'live' can be quite different than one that was delayed 10 minutes. A lot can occur in that 10 minutes... or not?

 

[EMTJD]

Is there a way to switch it on and off on the fly, or have two dispatch channels, one encrypted and one open? That way you can tell a unit “switch to 2” tell them the private info and the switch to primary.

That's how my local (Simi Valley, CA) police department does it. They can switch over if they have the need. But, for the most part, everything is in the clear.

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

I think a better solution would be to just keep in touch with a feed provider and come to an understanding that if you hear something sensitive going down, you should maybe kill the feed temporarily. I know I’ve heard some things going on, like when they are searching through backyards for someone, that maybe shouldn’t be broadcast in real time. I actually wish we could optionally delay our feeds if we feel it’s best for operational security.

 

[Madona]

I think a better solution would be to just keep in touch with a feed provider and come to an understanding that if you hear something sensitive going down, you should maybe kill the feed temporarily. I know I’ve heard some things going on, like when they are searching through backyards for someone, that maybe shouldn’t be broadcast in real time. I actually wish we could optionally delay our feeds if we feel it’s best for operational security.

The Lincoln Police department is the actual feed provider in this case, and they only provide (and provided) the 3 dispatch channels anyway. So those of us who monitor on the radio, and used to get 13 different channels, now get none.
Letting media have access for accountability is a call that most would say "ok good". Who holds the media accountable? I trust them less.