Omaha Police Dispatch WILL be Encrypted 2/27/2023

[scanomaha]

Starting Monday, February, 27th 2023.... All Omaha Police dispatch channels will be encrypted.


this story originally ran in July 2021>>> SOON>> Omaha Police scanners go silent to the listening public

 

[NebraskaCoder]

Is this official?

 

[xmo]

I believe that the original plan was for a regional transition but it was easier for Sarpy because there were already East and West secure talkgroups in all the consoles and radios. Easy transition. Just turn the switch - so Sarpy went first.

Omaha is more complicated with more talkgroups and more field units. With Motorola's Radio Management and with over the air programming capability, I'm sure they can make a smooth transition.

Pretty sure they will offer delayed feeds on Broadcastify - so no transparency issue.

 

[NebraskaCoder]

Pretty sure they will offer delayed feeds on Broadcastify - so no transparency issue.

Feeds are already there but last time I listened, if there was a short transmission followed by a longer one (or even two short ones), they would play over top of each other for a few seconds (like they are being queued).

 

[xmo]

I am inclined to think that there may be more work to do and that Feb 27th may too soon to expect the transition but the news story should get officials talking about it.

 

[NebraskaCoder]

If they plan to do it, I hope they do it sooner rather than later. I'd rather they didn't but once they do, I plan to sell my two G5 pagers (used as scanners) while I can still get something for them (going encrypted is becoming much of a norm in the US).

 

[scanomaha]

Is this official?

Is this official?

yes, this is what I was told by my source.
Mobile radios have already been updated... and as soon as the portables are updated the plan is to flip the switch on Feb 27th.

 

[NebraskaCoder]

yes, this is what I was told by my source.
Mobile radios have already been updated... and as soon as the portables are updated the plan is to flip the switch on Feb 27th.

Welp. It was a good run... One can only hope that this will be reversed some day, but now I'm dumbing down my equipment to all SDR (and not much) with a single Uniden SDS100 that will mostly sit dormant unless I want to listen to local businesses or fire/rescue. Bye bye both of my Uniden G5s.

 

[scanomaha]

OPD is starting to migrate to encryption today...for NOW... they are using the "Metro " talkgroups :::

OPD West can be heard on Metro-1 TG 200
OPD NW can be heard on Metro-2 TG 201
OPD NE can be heard on Metro-3 TG 202
OPD SE can be heard on Metro- 4 TG 203
OPD SW can be heard on Metro- 5 TG 204

I'm pretty sure this will only be temporary.

 

[scanomaha]

Just yesterday... the following talkgroups are now running FULL Encryption

4 OPD W Disp
5 OPD NW Disp
6 OPD NE Disp
7 OPD SE Disp
8 OPD SW Disp

 

[NebraskaCoder]

I can confirm. An end to an era (scanning them).

In an ironic twist, the thing that supposedly caused this (streaming feeds) is now provided by dispatch and is the only thing left in the hobby (listening to police radio).

 

[xmo]

Full time encryption seems to have become pretty much a non-issue.

I'm told that Orion members PCSO and CBPD have gone to encrypted dispatch and there wasn't so much as a peep out of anyone in the Iowa forum.

 

[scanomaha]

Full time encryption seems to have become pretty much a non-issue.

I'm told that Orion members PCSO and CBPD have gone to encrypted dispatch and there wasn't so much as a peep out of anyone in the Iowa forum

That is true...They went encrypted same day as OPD dispatch did
just a bunch of if you ask me.

On the plus side... Dodge co law and Wash co law are "normal"

 

[cm205]

That is true...They went encrypted same day as OPD dispatch did
just a bunch of if you ask me.

On the plus side... Dodge co law and Wash co law are "normal"

Washington is making preparations for full time law encryption. I don’t know about Dodge.

 

[scanomaha]

That royally stinks!

 

[js_402]

So... I'm a newbie here.. please pardon the really stupid question.. we just purchased a Uniden Bearcat BC365CRS500 scanner, which I know is analog and doesn't pick up really anything except for the muni airport near our home. With this recent transition with Omaha Police/Fire - is there any scanner that will pick up their transmissions, or are we best off going to Broadcastify? We live in Omaha, Nebraska (Douglas County). And if Broadcastify is the way to go... is there a way to set it up like a true scanner.. where it is scanning various channels (police, fire/rescue, muni airport) and then stopping on a channel that is actively transmitting?

 

[scanomaha]

First you will need a Phase 2 Scanner.
With THAT said>> ... ALL Omaha Police dispatch & Douglas County Sheriff, & Sarpy County LAW dispatch is 100% Encrypted
(basically ALL Law dispatch in and around Omaha is Encrypted)
There is NO Scanner that can monitor an Encrypted channel!
Omaha Fire & Rescue is NOT encrypted...but you still need a digital trunking PHASE-2 scanner to monitor OFD.

you would need to use Broadcastify to monitor Omaha LAW stuff...and that comes with a 30 minute delay.