The Official Thread: Live audio feeds, scanners, and... wait for it.. ENCRYPTION!

[MTS2000des]

So in this same respect you can just hop in any police car or fire engine and drive off as your tax dollars pay for it and it is yours to use.. It dont work like that

Or walk into a judges' chambers and take a dump in his/her toilet or roam freely through all parts of a government building. It doesn't work that way.

 

[EAFrizzle]

Y'all them same people that won't let me have a P25 Baofeng. 🤪

 

[W8KIC]

"I agree with you…..as it applies to a private entity! That’s THEIR intellectual property (IP) and they’re entitled to that protection. However, the infrastructure in this particular case is one in which the taxpayer is footing the bill for so it’s a little difficult for you to make your case using that same criteria. "

So in this same respect you can just hop in any police car or fire engine and drive off as your tax dollars pay for it and it is yours to use.. It dont work like that

The absurdity of your statement isn't even worthy of a response, although for your satisfaction, I'll provide you with one. Hoping into a police cruiser or a fire engine and driving off because I just happen to be a taxpayer and are therefore owed access to it is a lousy analogy and so far over the top. If I'm sitting at home listening to a dispatch channel, I'm in no way presenting myself as an obstacle in the same way I would as a taxpaying citizen, who somehow believes I have a right to ride along anytime I feel like doing so with officers Reed and Malloy! Again, I'm talking about listening to transmissions that are on a 20-30 minute delay, NOT LIVE! And no, I DON'T have any regard for those fools who try to show up at a call for service, BEFORE law enforcement actually arrives! They should be prosecuted as they're clearly in the way. But just out of curiosity, do you support a special carve-out for members of the media, who I guarantee will use the same argument that others on this forum have made about having access (i.e. First Amendment) to first responder radio transmissions and if so, why?

 

[kc2asb]

(snip) Hell, I’d be plenty satisfied if the dispatch channels were made available to the general public on a 20-30 minute delay, (i.e Chicago PD) IF that’s the only option available. When a law enforcement agency announces that they’re about to serve a warrant in short order, then obviously it shouldn’t be done in real time on a dispatch channel, UNLESS a 20-30 minute delay policy is already in place. Cheap downloadable scanner apps have (predictably) come back to bite us in the ass. That horse has already left the barn and there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle. Call it a compromise (i.e. “give and take”) and one in which both sides can easily live with, albeit some minor teeth grinding!

I agree, a dispatch-only feed on a delay is a reasonable compromise. In addition to Chicago and Baltimore, Boston PD provided the streams on only a 5 minute delay. These are the models other departments should follow.

Also agree with you about the apps. While portable scanners have been around for decades, the scanner apps can turn any phone into a portable scanner and were a game changer. All of a sudden, it was not just hobbyists and the media listening with specialized radio equipment. The damage has been done, as you said.

 

[chrismol1]

I always wondered if the streams originally had a few minute delays. I wonder how much that would have gone to greasing the wheels of harmony. Look at the depts at least willing to provide a feed at all with a delay, BPD 5 minute, etc. If streams had already had a few min delay, what do you think they would have done today, assuming the majority of this was always about streaming apps much more than someone with a real scanner, they probably would or wouldn't care at all. encrypt away

Also, I assume a lot can do with control, has BPD or others pulled their feed when they desired?

 

[kc2asb]

I always wondered if the streams originally had a few minute delays. I wonder how much that would have gone to greasing the wheels of harmony. Look at the depts at least willing to provide a feed at all with a delay, BPD 5 minute, etc. If streams had already had a few min delay, what do you think they would have done today, assuming the majority of this was always about streaming apps much more than someone with a real scanner, they probably would or wouldn't care at all. encrypt away

The protests five years ago which featured monitoring/jamming of law enforcement frequencies certainly played a role in departments going encrypted. Also, as previously mentioned in this thread, DOJ requirements for protecting PII/CJI are another factor. It's difficult to say whether a several-minute delay applied to all online streams/apps would have made a difference

Also, I assume a lot can do with control, has BPD or others pulled their feed when they desired?

I believe BPD, Chicago, etc. can shut the feeds down whenever needed.

 

[drdispatch]

With CAD, you don't put specific things, just the basics. The nitty gritty goes elsewhere.

An agency that does that shouldn't have spent the money on a CAD system then, because they're not using it to even close to its full potential. Their dispatchers might as well just get the address and chief complaint, write it on a run card, and just send 'em. They'll figure it out when they get there.
My agency *required* that we obtain all possible information on suspects and callers, including DOB's - Once that was input to CAD, they were automatically run through LEIN/NCIC. All of that info was then a permanent part of that CAD incident. If there were warrants, officer safety cautions, etc. that was relayed to the responding officers (on the main dispatch channel for expediency), as well as it appearing on their MDC screens.

 

[mmckenna]

With CAD, you don't put specific things, just the basics. The nitty gritty goes elsewhere.

That may be what your agency does, and that's cool. But it can vary.

CAD systems can really vary. Some are closely tied in with the records system.

But the real "nitty gritty" usually isn't on the radio, so kind of a moot point when it comes to this discussion. Anything that is protected shouldn't be in the clear, on radio or on a public CAD feed.

 

[WX4JCW]

i mean at this point the agencies and system admins have made their point clear, what i like seeing now and thought i would never say it are these auditors irritating the crap out of the agencies, i hope we see that expand 100 or 1000 fold at this point, want to encrypt, cool but you are going to have a camera on you 24/7 within legal means, and i really really hate that its come to this

 

[WX4JCW]

An agency that does that shouldn't have spent the money on a CAD system then, because they're not using it to even close to its full potential. Their dispatchers might as well just get the address and chief complaint, write it on a run card, and just send 'em. They'll figure it out when they get there.
My agency *required* that we obtain all possible information on suspects and callers, including DOB's - Once that was input to CAD, they were automatically run through LEIN/NCIC. All of that info was then a permanent part of that CAD incident. If there were warrants, officer safety cautions, etc. that was relayed to the responding officers (on the main dispatch channel for expediency), as well as it appearing on their MDC screens.

i don't know what cad they are using, but on our cad we did an excruciating amount of typing during each incident, EVERYTHING radio transmission and call taking had to be thoroughly documented, we could send and receive messages through cad to the units MDT as well, but any alarm was fully documented from start to finish

 

[WX4JCW]

That may be what your agency does, and that's cool. But it can vary.

CAD systems can really vary. Some are closely tied in with the records system.

But the real "nitty gritty" usually isn't on the radio, so kind of a moot point when it comes to this discussion. Anything that is protected shouldn't be in the clear, on radio or on a public CAD feed.

for once i agree with you

 

[drdispatch]

i don't know what cad they are using, but on our cad we did an excruciating amount of typing during each incident, EVERYTHING radio transmission and call taking had to be thoroughly documented, we could send and receive messages through cad to the units MDT as well, but any alarm was fully documented from start to finish

Typing radio traffic into CAD doesn't make much sense. That's what logging recorders are for.

 

[INDY72]

Typing radio traffic into CAD doesn't make much sense. That's what logging recorders are for.

There are some agencies that use the CAD/MDT for 99% of all activity, and rarely use the radios at all. Also some agencies have the MDT/CAD set up for one button responses. 10-08 is single key, 10-17, 10-04 etc... Just incident reports require a lot of typing. And now with the bar code system in use on DL/ID in a lot of places, you don't even need to type in the numbers. Swipe and you get the entire ID, Addy, NCIC, III, etc.

 

[jthorpe]

i mean at this point the agencies and system admins have made their point clear, what i like seeing now and thought i would never say it are these auditors irritating the crap out of the agencies, i hope we see that expand 100 or 1000 fold at this point, want to encrypt, cool but you are going to have a camera on you 24/7 within legal means, and i really really hate that its come to this

Yeah because that makes it super easy for them to do their job.

 

[chrismol1]

This was a thorough announcement with examples

Grand County Public Safety Radio Communications Transfer to Encryption

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 20, 2026GRAND COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS TRANSFER TO ENCRYPTIONGRAND COUNTY, CO -The Grand County Communications Center announces that effective May 22, 2026, c

www.co.grand.co.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 20, 2026

GRAND COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS TRANSFER TO ENCRYPTION

GRAND COUNTY, CO -The Grand County Communications Center announces that effective May 22, 2026, countywide public safety radio communications, including law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services, will transition to an encrypted radio platform.

This change is being implemented to enhance responder safety, protect sensitive information, and reduce the risk of public safety radio traffic being misused, misinterpreted, or shared without context.

Public safety radio systems are used every day to coordinate emergency response, share incident information, request resources, and protect the safety of residents, visitors, and first responders. During these transmissions, responders may need to communicate sensitive details, including names, addresses, medical information, vehicle information, victim or witness information, tactical response details, and officer or responder locations.

In recent years, publicly accessible radio traffic has increasingly been rebroadcast through online scanner feeds, mobile applications, and AI-enabled monitoring platforms. Some platforms advertise real-time alerts, automated summaries, and live AI transcription of public safety radio traffic. While these tools may appear convenient, automated transcription and interpretation are not always accurate, particularly when radio traffic includes background noise, overlapping transmissions, emergency terminology, abbreviations, street names, or rapidly changing incident details.

Inaccurate or incomplete information shared publicly can create confusion, spread misinformation, compromise active emergency responses, and negatively impact victims, witnesses, and families before official information is confirmed. Public radio traffic can also be monitored by individuals attempting to avoid law enforcement, interfere with emergency response, or determine the location and movement of officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and other responders.

Real World Examples from Other Public Safety Agencies:

● Shop with a Cop" Misinterpretation (Bend, Oregon): An AI scanner app monitoring police dispatch mistook an officer's radio mention of a "Shop with a Cop" charity event for "shot with a Cop". The app published a false alert suggesting an officer had been shot in the line of duty, creating significant panic for families and the community.

● Training Exercise Escalation (Frederick, Colorado): An AI app pushed out a public alert warning residents about a major "commercial blaze" downtown. The AI had overheard radio traffic from a local fire department conducting a structural fire training drill and reported it as an active emergency.

● School Shooting Hallucination (Mount Vernon, Missouri): An AI bot monitoring police frequencies interpreted a deputy stating "I'm out at the elementary school" as "shots at the elementary school". The app sent out a false active shooting alert to parents before law enforcement intervened to dispel the rumor.

● Widespread CrimeRadar Errors: Multiple police departments across the US warned about the AI app CrimeRadar after it generated misleading alerts. The app routinely misheard addresses, failed to distinguish between domestic calls and random kidnappings, and published sensationalized blog-style posts based on incomplete, preliminary chatter.

Encryption will help protect the integrity of emergency communications while reducing the risk that sensitive information could be used for fraud, identity theft, harassment, retaliation, or other criminal activity. The transition is also intended to safeguard personal and medical information shared during emergency calls and to support safer, more effective response across Grand County.

The Grand County Communications Center recognizes the important role of local journalism in keeping the community informed. In accordance with Colorado law, including C.R.S. § 24-6-502, which addresses public broadcast of governmental radio communications and requires law enforcement agencies that encrypt all radio communications to create a communications access policy in collaboration with Colorado-based media outlets, the Communications Center will provide Sky-Hi News with a designated radio for its newsroom. This radio will allow continued access to the primary public safety dispatch channel, subject to applicable media-access agreements, credentialing, operational safeguards, and restrictions on the rebroadcast or misuse of sensitive information. Colorado law specifically contemplates media access to primary dispatch channels through radio receivers, scanners, or other feasible technology, and allows reasonable restrictions and credential verification as part of that access policy.

This radio is being provided in good faith to preserve transparency and support responsible reporting while also protecting victims, patients, witnesses, responders, and active emergency operations. The Communications Center will continue to follow applicable provisions of the Colorado Open Records Act and the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, which provide separate processes for requesting public and criminal justice records.

The encryption change will affect general public access to live radio traffic for Grand County public safety communications. It will not change how residents request emergency assistance. Community members should continue to call 911 for emergencies and 970-725-3311 for non-emergency public safety assistance.

The Grand County Communications Center and partner public safety agencies remain committed to providing timely, accurate, and verified public information through official channels. Residents are encouraged to rely on official updates from Grand County, local law enforcement, fire protection districts, emergency medical services, emergency management, and trusted local media during significant incidents.

###

 

[rcid1971]

This was a thorough announcement with examples

Grand County Public Safety Radio Communications Transfer to Encryption

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 20, 2026GRAND COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS TRANSFER TO ENCRYPTIONGRAND COUNTY, CO -The Grand County Communications Center announces that effective May 22, 2026, c

www.co.grand.co.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 20, 2026

GRAND COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS TRANSFER TO ENCRYPTION

GRAND COUNTY, CO -The Grand County Communications Center announces that effective May 22, 2026, countywide public safety radio communications, including law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services, will transition to an encrypted radio platform.

This change is being implemented to enhance responder safety, protect sensitive information, and reduce the risk of public safety radio traffic being misused, misinterpreted, or shared without context.

Public safety radio systems are used every day to coordinate emergency response, share incident information, request resources, and protect the safety of residents, visitors, and first responders. During these transmissions, responders may need to communicate sensitive details, including names, addresses, medical information, vehicle information, victim or witness information, tactical response details, and officer or responder locations.

In recent years, publicly accessible radio traffic has increasingly been rebroadcast through online scanner feeds, mobile applications, and AI-enabled monitoring platforms. Some platforms advertise real-time alerts, automated summaries, and live AI transcription of public safety radio traffic. While these tools may appear convenient, automated transcription and interpretation are not always accurate, particularly when radio traffic includes background noise, overlapping transmissions, emergency terminology, abbreviations, street names, or rapidly changing incident details.

Inaccurate or incomplete information shared publicly can create confusion, spread misinformation, compromise active emergency responses, and negatively impact victims, witnesses, and families before official information is confirmed. Public radio traffic can also be monitored by individuals attempting to avoid law enforcement, interfere with emergency response, or determine the location and movement of officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and other responders.

Real World Examples from Other Public Safety Agencies:

● Shop with a Cop" Misinterpretation (Bend, Oregon): An AI scanner app monitoring police dispatch mistook an officer's radio mention of a "Shop with a Cop" charity event for "shot with a Cop". The app published a false alert suggesting an officer had been shot in the line of duty, creating significant panic for families and the community.

● Training Exercise Escalation (Frederick, Colorado): An AI app pushed out a public alert warning residents about a major "commercial blaze" downtown. The AI had overheard radio traffic from a local fire department conducting a structural fire training drill and reported it as an active emergency.

● School Shooting Hallucination (Mount Vernon, Missouri): An AI bot monitoring police frequencies interpreted a deputy stating "I'm out at the elementary school" as "shots at the elementary school". The app sent out a false active shooting alert to parents before law enforcement intervened to dispel the rumor.

● Widespread CrimeRadar Errors: Multiple police departments across the US warned about the AI app CrimeRadar after it generated misleading alerts. The app routinely misheard addresses, failed to distinguish between domestic calls and random kidnappings, and published sensationalized blog-style posts based on incomplete, preliminary chatter.

Encryption will help protect the integrity of emergency communications while reducing the risk that sensitive information could be used for fraud, identity theft, harassment, retaliation, or other criminal activity. The transition is also intended to safeguard personal and medical information shared during emergency calls and to support safer, more effective response across Grand County.

The Grand County Communications Center recognizes the important role of local journalism in keeping the community informed. In accordance with Colorado law, including C.R.S. § 24-6-502, which addresses public broadcast of governmental radio communications and requires law enforcement agencies that encrypt all radio communications to create a communications access policy in collaboration with Colorado-based media outlets, the Communications Center will provide Sky-Hi News with a designated radio for its newsroom. This radio will allow continued access to the primary public safety dispatch channel, subject to applicable media-access agreements, credentialing, operational safeguards, and restrictions on the rebroadcast or misuse of sensitive information. Colorado law specifically contemplates media access to primary dispatch channels through radio receivers, scanners, or other feasible technology, and allows reasonable restrictions and credential verification as part of that access policy.

This radio is being provided in good faith to preserve transparency and support responsible reporting while also protecting victims, patients, witnesses, responders, and active emergency operations. The Communications Center will continue to follow applicable provisions of the Colorado Open Records Act and the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, which provide separate processes for requesting public and criminal justice records.

The encryption change will affect general public access to live radio traffic for Grand County public safety communications. It will not change how residents request emergency assistance. Community members should continue to call 911 for emergencies and 970-725-3311 for non-emergency public safety assistance.

The Grand County Communications Center and partner public safety agencies remain committed to providing timely, accurate, and verified public information through official channels. Residents are encouraged to rely on official updates from Grand County, local law enforcement, fire protection districts, emergency medical services, emergency management, and trusted local media during significant incidents.

###

Meh, a thorough examination would list examples where in the clear helped the community and law enforcement. It seems Grand County has less of a problem with clear dispatch and more of a problem with rogue and poorly programmed AI. Not unlike the trap people fall into of blaming objects rather than the actions of people.

 

[buddrousa]

You forgot the misuse of radio broadcast of Public Service feeds by News and others.

 

[Firebuff66]

Wow a very well thought out letter, and its not wrong, Crime Radar has caused issues in many local communities around me also.

I wish they went the Boston route, but that also gets mis read by crime radar, just 30 min later and still causes confusion

 

[MTS2000des]

Wow a very well thought out letter, and its not wrong, Crime Radar has caused issues in many local communities around me also.

I wish they went the Boston route, but that also gets mis read by crime radar, just 30 min later and still causes confusion

Very well articulated and is exactly the reasons why agencies are migrating to secure, assured communications platforms. Is it about controlling a narrative? Yes, no doubt. when AI slop and third parties spread false and misleading information that can directly impact public safety it is absolutely about preventing the misuse of information gleamed from monitoring radio transmissions. Encryption stops this dead cold.

The golden rule of scanning never changed (one does not divulge what one hears), society devolved to the point where everyone feels the need to post every time they flatulate. Can't have nice things.

 

[drdispatch]

Meh, a thorough examination would list examples where in the clear helped the community and law enforcement. It seems Grand County has less of a problem with clear dispatch and more of a problem with rogue and poorly programmed AI. Not unlike the trap people fall into of blaming objects rather than the actions of people.

Yeah, the common thread of all those examples was "AI f'ed up", rather than "someone misused info".