Rockford to Scramble All Police Radio Comms

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Rockford Police Chief Dan O'Shea is ordering all digital radio communications to be transmitted over only encrypted channels starting in August, preventing members of the public and news organizations from listening to police radio traffic.

Scanner enthusiast and radio amateur Joe Mattern WX4ADX, 51, of Orlando, Florida, in 2010 founded an organization called "Concerns About Radio Encryption" to fight police encryption in Florida that damaged his enjoyment of listening to emergency radio transmissions as he had since he was boy. He said many departments across the country are moving to encrypted systems even though there is little evidence it improves officer safety.

“Encrypt for tactical reasons, use it for your SWAT, and drug stings, but there is no reason, when taxpayers are paying for radios, to encrypt routine dispatch scanner traffic. ”
— Joe Mattern WX4ADX