Scott County, Savage Minnesota spend coronavirus relief dollars on encrypted police radios

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citiot

citiot

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“Several county and city officials say communicating certain COVID-19 health data required the purchase of radios with encryption technology, but did not provide support for these claims.”

“However, local law enforcement officials later confirmed COVID-19 heath data doesn't need to be transmitted over encrypted radios. Officers are currently able to access COVID-19 health data while maintaining compliance with privacy requirements.”

Link to:
Savage Pacer article
 
wogggieee

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AAFC said:
"The encryption of law enforcement radio transmissions will not change our commitment to transparency and sharing of public information."

Yeah, sure....
Click to expand...

Exactly. You can accept their official releases or file a FOIA request which most do not know how to do or have the time to do, but they're committed to transparency.
 
stmills

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One of the ways Radios were deemed eligible for COVID19 funds was for departments to provide individual radios for each officer instead of shared radios that would need to be cleaned/decontaminated. Reviewing some investor calls from Motorola shows that they view selling encryption as a big growth opportunity- so imagine the radio sales person explaining how to use COVID money to get these highly needed encrypted radios because everyone is switching to encryption and you don’t want to be the only department not encrypted.
 
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AAFC

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Most of the cops I know (and in my business I work with the police every day so I know a few) have their own handheld radios issued to them, and it's been that way for decades. I know cops who listen to that thing 24/7 even when they're not on duty, and others who refuse to even turn that thing on unless they're AT work. As far as buying encrypted radios, great buy all you want.... But just because the radio has THE ABILITY to be encrypted does NOT mean EVERY talkgroup has the be encrypted. Feel free to encrypt your investigative talkgroups and other sensitive departments, but LEAVE THE DISPATCH MAIN OPEN.

I remember a friend of mine who is a Sergeant in a suburb here in the Twin Cities explaining to me how for every ONE cop, the department basically has to buy TWO radios because one stays in the car, and the other goes home with them. And considering how expensive the radios are, this is one of the largest expenses for any department.... and this was probably 6 or 7 years ago when we had that discussion. So for each cop to have his own radio is absolutely nothing new.
 
stmills

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I am not saying it is a new thing but I have seen multiple agencies that used that as the justification.
Many agencies have dedicated radios for the licensed officers but not the CSO and reserves- which was used as justification to upgrade all the radios. It is definitely being used as a cash cow just like Homeland Security funds were after 9/11. I fully agree investigations and such should be encrypted, and dispatch should remain in the clear- I go back and forth on city car to car channels- while most of the traffic is pretty basic it is often where I have heard Officer plan the response to active calls.
 
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Scott73

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The sharing bit is a bunch of BS in my opinion. Motorola would even try to sell an encrypted radio to Paul Bunyan in Bemidji if they could. But there is really nothing we can do as the metro agencies are starting the encryption transition. I agree dispatch should be in the clear and encrypt all the rest. The Covid funds should be used for items that are more important.
 
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