Journalism
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Police radio encryption is the number one issue affecting broadcast journalism today. When police go dark, communities lose their early warning system.
When There's a Shooter in Your Neighborhood, Would You Want to Know?
In 50+ cities, police have made that decision for you. Their radios are now encrypted—and you're kept in the dark during the moments that matter most.
What brings you here?
Journalists
Covering a breaking story?
Real-time scanner access is how newsrooms verify incidents and keep reporters safe.
Activists
Fighting encryption in your community?
Proven tactics from communities that successfully stopped or reversed encryption.
Fire & EMS
Concerned about interoperability?
Police encryption creates dangerous communication gaps with emergency services.
Policymakers
Evaluating encryption proposals?
Evidence-based analysis of costs, benefits, and alternatives.
This isn't hypothetical. It already happened.
Two Cities. Two Policies. One Deadly Difference.
Scanners Saved Lives July 4, 2022
Highland Park, Illinois
When a gunman opened fire at a Fourth of July parade, residents with scanner access knew exactly where the threat was. Families took cover, avoided danger zones, and located loved ones using real-time police communications. The information traveled faster than any emergency alert system.
"We knew where he was, where he was heading. We could make decisions that kept our family safe." — Highland Park residentRead Full Case Study →
Public Left in Dark Ongoing
Chicago, Illinois
With encrypted radios, 40 shots fired at a courthouse went unreported to the public. Officials removed transmissions from public feeds and added 30-minute delays. Incidents vanish from the public record—as though they never happened.
"They deleted it. 40 shots fired, and the public never knew. That's the future of encrypted radio." — Chicago journalistRead Full Case Study →
The Slippery Slope
It's Not Just Police Anymore
In Toms River, New Jersey, encryption has spread to fire departments—the one agency nobody expected would go dark. Fire chiefs across the county formally opposed it. Officials did it anyway, then issued gag orders to silence dissent.
If fire departments can encrypt, what's next?
Read the Toms River case study →The Evidence Is Clear
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Zero Documented Harm
Multiple police departments searched years of records. Not one documented case of scanner access harming officers or enabling crimes. The "officer safety" argument has no evidence behind it.
See the analysis → 2
Proven Alternatives Exist
Hybrid systems protect tactical operations while keeping routine dispatch public. Palo Alto reversed their encryption using this model. Full encryption is a policy choice, not a security requirement.
Explore solutions → 3
Broad Opposition
Journalists, civil liberties groups, fire departments, and even some police officials oppose blanket encryption. The coalition against secrecy is growing.
Read perspectives →Voices for Transparency
Voices for Transparency
Journalists, civil liberties experts, and community members speak out about why public access to police communications matters.
Industry Expert
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In decades of operating the world's largest police scanner streaming platform, we have never received evidence of scanner access leading to officer harm. Not once.
Journalism
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By the time we get the audio, the police have already issued their official statement and controlled the narrative. We've lost our ability to independently verify what actually happened.
Community
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We knew where he was, where he was heading. We could make decisions that kept our family safe. Without scanner access, we would have been in the dark during the worst moments of our lives.
Research
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Scanner data allows us to document crash patterns and advocate for infrastructure improvements. When police encrypt, we lose critical data that saves lives on our streets.
Government
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Not all public safety communications need to be encrypted. Public safety agencies must determine what type of information should be encrypted.
Ready to Make a Difference?
Join communities across America fighting for transparent police communications.