Johnson County encryption

[KC0KBC]

In the database for the KC MARRS system I see this note:

November 2023 AES Update:
Johnson County KS Police Department is moving toward full encryption. The switch should be complete by January 2024 when they have input from all departments.

There are no other details. First, there is no “Johnson County KS Police Department” unless we’re talking about the county sheriff. Is that the agency in question, or is something afoot with all the individual PD agencies in the county? Does anyone have more details, preferably with some references?

 

[AB5ID]

You might have better luck finding an answer in the Missouri stickied KC MARRS 2023 Thread.

 

[KC0KBC]

Yea I read that too, there’s nothing but conjecture there for now.

 

[bctrainers]

From what I have been told...

1. The JoCo sheriff is not enabling encryption on their primary talk groups (at this time).
2. JoCoECC has been silent on the encryption changeover - I've yet to have a statement either way on it. Rumors are that they'll remain clear for ECC Main and ECC Ops (as it is now).
3. All city-based PDs not under JoCoSo's dispatch operations will be encrypted. That includes Olathe, Overland Park, Leawood, Prairie Village, Lenexa, and Shawnee.

The most explicit form of evidence communicated to me as to why they are migrating primary talkgroups to encryption at this time is due to CJIS changes and PII going over primary dispatch channels.

 

[KC0KBC]

3. All city-based PDs not under JoCoSo's dispatch operations will be encrypted. That includes Olathe, Overland Park, Leawood, Prairie Village, Lenexa, and Shawnee.

I thought Olathe dispatch went under JoCoSo several years ago?

As much as I want to be mad about this - 1) we’ve all known it was a matter of time, and 2) it seems to me that at least half of dispatch activity is via MDT’s now anyway.

The most explicit form of evidence communicated to me as to why they are migrating primary talkgroups to encryption at this time is due to CJIS changes and PII going over primary dispatch channels.

Interesting. I miss the analog days in JoCo. I appreciate your reply.

 

[KC0KBC]

I received a draft copy of the 11/29 MARRS meeting minutes from MARC. From that:

System Owners Update:
o Johnson County, KS – Worth Hunsinger – Do not have any infrastructure changes but they will be making a change to most of their law enforcement primary talk groups to encryption January 2024.

 

[dgruver911]

About a year ago the FBI put out a new CJIS policy that interpreted that DIGITAL radio communications falls under their policies and therefore need to be AES encrypted to protect PII (Names, Date of Births, SS#, etc). I capitalize digital because that's what it says, but the rule/unfunded mandate is being enforced on all radio users digital/analog.
So yes, you're going to be seeing a lot more of it. Sedgwick County just got a grant for $1.6m to encrypt all law communications. Harvey County LEO's voted to encrypt Newton PD and County Law and that will happen in January. Other agencies are ignoring the mandate....for now. At $600+ per radio that's a lot to meet this mandate. But sooner or later they will force the issue on those who aren't abiding by it.

 

[kcscan6]

About a year ago the FBI put out a new CJIS policy that interpreted that DIGITAL radio communications falls under their policies and therefore need to be AES encrypted to protect PII (Names, Date of Births, SS#, etc). I capitalize digital because that's what it says, but the rule/unfunded mandate is being enforced on all radio users digital/analog.
So yes, you're going to be seeing a lot more of it. Sedgwick County just got a grant for $1.6m to encrypt all law communications. Harvey County LEO's voted to encrypt Newton PD and County Law and that will happen in January. Other agencies are ignoring the mandate....for now. At $600+ per radio that's a lot to meet this mandate. But sooner or later they will force the issue on those who aren't abiding by it.

Some agencies in the KC area have opted to leave dispatch in the clear, and they just force encrypted the mobiles/portables on the patrol side. It's a balance (not one I particularly care for, but it's better than nothing). Is that something that would be permissible under the CJIS policy? Most of the PII would be coming from officers out in the field anyways.

 

[dgruver911]

Not really. First, we have an encrypted channel they could switch to to broadcast PII. They won't switch channels because they say it jeopardizes Officer Safety. But that's what KHP plans to do, a separate info channel. Second, as of January 1, the State of Kansas requires any channel on the system to either be always clear or always encrypted. They will no longer allow selectable or partial encryption. The talkgroups are being tagged either Secure or Clear in the core, no other option.

 

[hjvan]

Chdck out the latest here:

https://x.com/mfrizzell85/status/1737914024103133281?s=46&t=gv9_gwPlEB3f1ZBViK-KIg

 

[Jimbnks]

Not really. First, we have an encrypted channel they could switch to to broadcast PII. They won't switch channels because they say it jeopardizes Officer Safety. But that's what KHP plans to do, a separate info channel. Second, as of January 1, the State of Kansas requires any channel on the system to either be always clear or always encrypted. They will no longer allow selectable or partial encryption. The talkgroups are being tagged either Secure or Clear in the core, no other option.

The secure at the core has happened in my home county, about 3 or 4 weeks on the primary LEO talk group, you used to be able to them sometimes and KHP unit all the time, but you don't hear any units on that channel now.

I've noticed that KHP has been doing most of the driver data via MCT, for a long time now, if I understand you correctly there is going to be moved to another talk group that is going to be secure to do this on.

 

[K0WBC]

Saw a post the other day with press release from multiple PD's states all cities in JoCo will be encrypted Jan. 23rd. This includes Olathe, Lenaxa, Shawnee, Overland Park., Gardner, Leawood. Guess it's a good thing I didn't invest in a new SDS.

 

[kcscan6]

Not really. First, we have an encrypted channel they could switch to to broadcast PII. They won't switch channels because they say it jeopardizes Officer Safety. But that's what KHP plans to do, a separate info channel. Second, as of January 1, the State of Kansas requires any channel on the system to either be always clear or always encrypted. They will no longer allow selectable or partial encryption. The talkgroups are being tagged either Secure or Clear in the core, no other option.

As long as things are set up properly by the radio system manager/techs, there shouldn't be any officer safety issues. If an agency is a smaller one that conducts most of their routine business on a primary dispatch channel (to include license plate/subject record checks), they could easily leave the dispatch consoles forced clear, and force encrypt all field mobiles/portables. Even if an officer accidentally bumps their toggle knob from Ø to O, the radio would still be forced to remain in secure mode. KSICS has always been a weird system in terms of how KDOT manages it. I get why they've made this decision, but I'm not buying their officer safety rationale. There should be a balance between allowing citizens to hear calls for service and protecting PII.

 

[KC0KBC]

I get why they've made this decision, but I'm not buying their officer safety rationale.

It’s complete BS as far as I’m concerned. This is big brother run amok, and local governments going along with it because hey, it’s not their money.

 

[mancow]

I suspect it's a push by the usual three letter suspects to mitigate public insight into summer 2020 route activities.

 

[PVPD730]

I received a draft copy of the 11/29 MARRS meeting minutes from MARC. From that:

System Owners Update:
o Johnson County, KS – Worth Hunsinger – Do not have any infrastructure changes but they will be making a change to most of their law enforcement primary talk groups to encryption January 2024.

How did you obtain the meeting minutes...open/public records request? They haven't posted anything on their website since August.

 

[KC0KBC]

How did you obtain the meeting minutes...open/public records request? They haven't posted anything on their website since August.

I asked them for it.

 

[PVPD730]

I asked them for it.

Glad you got what you were after. I know they're very reluctant to hand certain meeting minutes out. The open records act/sunshine law pretty much forces their hand. They really need to get those minutes posted in a timely manner. I believe MARC is taxpayer funded to some degree, so there's no good reason why they need to delay releasing the minutes. They just need to post the damn things in a reasonable amount of time-maybe a 2 or 3 days after each meeting.

 

[KC0KBC]

Glad you got what you were after.

Yeah I just submitted a “contact us” form. She said the managers involved all have to approve the draft before it can be posted, but the draft is available to anyone who requests it.

 

[PVPD730]

I submitted a public records request with MARC and received the 11/29/23 meeting summary. This is likely the same document KC0KBC made reference to. The minutes document is attached for those interested.