Media Release: Salem Police updates existing radio system
Salem Police Department from Salem Police Department · 8 min ago
The Salem Police Department flipped the switch on a new radio system on Tuesday, August 11. Salem Police officers are now using an upgraded, digital 800 MHz radio system. The switch comes after years of researching and building a system that for the first time will allow interoperability within the different city departments and with many neighboring police and fire agencies.
Interoperability within City departments and neighboring agencies is a key feature of this new system. For example, Salem officers often work with the fire or public works crews and need to directly communicate over the radio. The new system will permit departments to communicate in real time instead of using the phone or the dispatcher to relay information.
In addition to interoperability, the new radio system features the ability to encrypt the radio communications. The encryption will include a 15-minute delay in the broadcast of radio transmissions. This delay allows officers to communicate with each other over the radio during critical incidents without the concern the suspect is actively listening to the police transmissions in real time.
Chief Moore pointed to the many phone apps and scanners that have become common place in society. Said Moore, “We have numerous examples where it was clear our response to a crime had been compromised and those involved took actions to defeat, or place our officers in a dangerous position, as they knew our response plans and tactics.”
With the addition of encryption and the transmission delay, Chief Moore wants the public to know that he understands and welcomes the ability of the community to listen and know what their police and fire agencies are involved in. He added, “The delay will still allow the community the ability to listen to the public safety activity, but in a manner which does not endanger officers as they respond to calls for service.”
The 15-minute delay involves decryption of the dispatch audio, and then it will stream to the Internet. Community members who want to listen to police and fire broadcasts can do so on Broadcastify and use the search function to find for the desired channel within the state by county.
