ACTIVIST PLAYBOOK

Indiana Action Guide

Fighting Encryption in the Hoosier State

Indiana's encryption landscape is a patchwork of local decisions. Indianapolis Metro has encrypted, but much of the state remains accessible. Indiana's strong tradition of local government and civic engagement creates opportunities for advocacy. This guide shows you how to protect scanner access across Indiana.

Indiana Encryption Landscape

Where Indiana stands and why there's still time to act

Fully Encrypted

Indianapolis Metro, Indiana State Police

IMPD and ISP have encrypted primary operations. Marion County represents the largest encrypted jurisdiction in the state.

Partial Encryption

Fort Wayne, South Bend, Evansville

Indiana's second-tier cities have mixed encryption status. Main dispatch often remains accessible while tactical channels are encrypted.

Largely Open

Rural Indiana, Small Cities

Most of Indiana's 92 counties remain largely accessible. Rural departments and small cities rely on open communications for coordination.

The Indiana Opportunity

Indiana's decentralized county system means 92 separate decisions rather than one statewide policy. While Indianapolis has encrypted, the rest of Indiana hasn't followed. The state's civic traditions and strong local newspapers create natural advocacy allies. Prevent the Indianapolis model from spreading to your community.

Indiana Open Government Laws

Your legal tools for fighting encryption

Access to Public Records Act (APRA)

IC 5-14-3

Indiana's version of FOIA. Use it to request encryption costs, decision memos, and officer safety incident documentation.

  • Response deadline: 24 hours for denial, reasonable time for production
  • Appeal to: Public Access Counselor or Circuit Court
  • Fees: Reasonable copying costs only
  • Attorney fees: Available if you prevail in court
Get Indiana APRA templates

Open Door Law

IC 5-14-1.5

Requires public notice and open deliberation for government decisions. Encryption decisions should follow Open Door requirements.

  • 48-hour notice required for meetings
  • Public attendance must be permitted
  • Executive session exceptions are specific
  • Violation remedy: Voided action, injunction possible

Key tactic: If your city or county encrypted without proper public notice, check whether the Open Door Law was followed. Equipment purchases above threshold require council/commission approval.

Sample Indiana APRA Request

To: [City/County] Public Records Officer

Subject: Indiana Access to Public Records Act Request - Police Radio Encryption

Pursuant to the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14-3), I request copies of the following records:

  1. All documented incidents from January 1, 2019 to present where police scanner access resulted in officer injury, suspect escape, or operational compromise in [Jurisdiction].
  2. All budget documents, vendor quotes, contracts, and cost estimates related to police radio encryption systems.
  3. All internal communications (emails, memos, meeting minutes) regarding police radio encryption decisions.
  4. Any policies or procedures regarding media access to police communications.
  5. All SAFE-T system participation documents and encryption policy communications with the state.

Please provide records in electronic format to [email]. If any records will be withheld, please cite the specific IC exemption for each denial within 24 hours as required by APRA.

Key Indiana Contacts

Who to call, write, and visit

Indiana General Assembly

State law could establish transparency requirements statewide, like Colorado HB21-1250. Indiana's legislature meets January-April annually.

Find Your State Representative

Indiana House of Representatives (100 members)

Website: iga.in.gov

Phone: (317) 232-9600

Use "Find Your Legislator" tool. Schedule meetings during summer interim when legislators are in-district.

Find Your State Senator

Indiana Senate (50 members)

Website: iga.in.gov

Phone: (317) 232-9400

Senators serve 4-year terms and have more capacity for constituent engagement.

Key Committees to Contact

  • House Public Safety Committee - Jurisdiction over law enforcement policy
  • Senate Corrections & Criminal Law - Police accountability and policy
  • House Ways & Means - Control over state funding incentives
  • Interim Study Committees - Can study encryption issues during summer

Public Access Counselor

Indiana has a unique Public Access Counselor who provides advisory opinions on APRA and Open Door Law issues.

KEY RESOURCE

Office of the Public Access Counselor

Provides free advisory opinions on public records and open meetings disputes. Part of the Inspector General's office.

Website: in.gov/pac

Phone: (317) 234-0906

File a formal complaint if records are denied. PAC opinions carry significant weight with agencies and courts.

Indiana Inspector General

Oversees government ethics and can investigate improper government conduct.

Website: in.gov/ig

If encryption decisions involved improper process, IG may investigate.

Local Government

Indiana's 92 counties and hundreds of municipalities make independent decisions. County commissioners and city councils control police budgets.

County Commissioners / Council

Three commissioners per county handle executive functions. County councils control budgets in most Indiana counties.

Attend public meetings. Radio system purchases appear in "public safety" or "capital" budget items.

City Council / Mayor

Municipal police are controlled by city government. Council approves budgets; mayor appoints police chief.

Sign up for agenda notifications. Build relationships with council members before encryption proposals emerge.

SAFE-T System & Statewide Networks

Understanding Indiana's radio infrastructure

What Is SAFE-T?

The Indiana Statewide 911 Network and the Project Hoosier SAFE-T (Safety Alliance for Emergency Telecommunication) network provide interoperability infrastructure across Indiana. These systems affect how local agencies make encryption decisions.

Coverage

Statewide P25 digital infrastructure supporting interoperability across all 92 Indiana counties.

Users

State, county, and municipal public safety agencies use SAFE-T for mutual aid and interoperability.

Encryption

SAFE-T supports encryption but does not mandate it for all operations. Local agencies choose their encryption level.

The Statewide Network Threat

As agencies upgrade to modern digital systems, some choose to encrypt communications that were previously open on legacy systems. The presence of encrypted state agencies (ISP) can create pressure for local agencies to follow.

Advocacy Strategies

1. Monitor System Upgrades

Watch for announcements about radio system upgrades or replacements. These are key intervention points for encryption decisions.

2. Engage Before Decisions

Once equipment is purchased with encryption capability, activation is easy. Engage during the procurement phase, not after.

3. Interoperability Arguments

Fire departments and EMS often oppose police encryption due to coordination concerns. Document interoperability issues and recruit allies.

4. Cost Documentation

Encryption adds significant cost to radio systems. Request budget documents showing encryption upgrade costs.

Local Actions

What you can do in your Indiana community

Indianapolis

Encrypted

Population: 880,000 (metro area 2M+)

Status: IMPD encrypted primary operations. Marion County consolidated city-county government.

What to Do

  • Push for reversal: Palo Alto proves encryption can be reversed with sustained advocacy
  • City-County Council: 25 members control IMPD budget and policy
  • Media access: Push for credentialed journalist access program
  • Civilian oversight: Connect with Civilian Police Merit Board on accountability

Key Contacts

  • Indianapolis City-County Council: indy.gov/council
  • Mayor's Office: indy.gov/mayor
  • IMPD: indy.gov/agency/impd

Fort Wayne

Partial

Population: 270,000 (Indiana's 2nd largest city)

Status: Mixed encryption status. Some channels accessible, others encrypted.

What to Do

  • Prevent expansion: Hold the line on current partial encryption
  • Allen County coordination: City and county have separate agencies
  • Journal Gazette / News-Sentinel: Engage local media on access issues
  • Nine-member council: Build relationships across all districts

Key Contacts

  • Fort Wayne City Council: cityoffortwayne.org/city-council
  • Allen County Commissioners: allencounty.us/commissioners

South Bend

Partial

Population: 105,000 (Michiana metro 325K)

Status: Partial encryption. St. Joseph County has different status than city.

What to Do

  • University presence: Notre Dame creates stakeholder community for transparency
  • Regional coordination: South Bend, Mishawaka, and county require coordinated advocacy
  • Common Council: Nine members control police budget
  • Media market: South Bend Tribune and TV stations are potential allies

Key Contacts

  • South Bend Common Council: southbendin.gov/council
  • St. Joseph County Council: sjcindiana.com

Evansville

Partial

Population: 120,000 (tri-state metro 315K)

Status: Mixed status. Southwestern Indiana remains more accessible than Indianapolis area.

What to Do

  • Tri-state coordination: Evansville metro crosses into Kentucky and Illinois
  • Vanderburgh County: County and city coordination important
  • Casino industry: Gaming industry has public safety interests
  • Regional isolation: Distance from Indianapolis means less pressure to follow state capital model

Key Contacts

  • Evansville City Council: evansville.in.gov/city-council
  • Vanderburgh County Commissioners: vanderburghgov.org

Indiana APRA Tips

24-Hour Denial Notice

If records will be denied, agency must notify you within 24 hours. No response means records should be provided.

Public Access Counselor

Indiana's PAC provides free advisory opinions. File complaints on denied records before going to court.

Reasonable Time

Production must occur within "reasonable time." Courts have interpreted this based on request complexity.

Electronic Preferred

Request electronic records to reduce costs. Agencies must provide in requested format if reasonably available.

Indiana Media & Coalition Allies

Build your advocacy network

Media Organizations

Hoosier State Press Association

Represents newspapers across Indiana. Has strong open government advocacy tradition.

Website: hspa.com

Request HSPA support for scanner access. They can coordinate editorial board outreach statewide.

Indiana Broadcasters Association

Represents radio and TV stations. Broadcasters depend on scanner access for breaking news coverage.

Website: indianabroadcasters.org

Contact news directors at local stations. They lose competitive advantage when encryption happens.

Major Indiana Newsrooms

Indianapolis Star, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, South Bend Tribune, Evansville Courier & Press.

Pitch encryption stories to investigative reporters. Local papers have strong community ties.

Civil Liberties & Advocacy

ACLU of Indiana

Active on police accountability issues. Engaged on Indiana policing reform efforts.

Website: aclu-in.org

May provide legal guidance and coalition support.

Indiana Coalition for Open Government

Coalition focused on APRA and Open Door Law compliance.

Website: indianacog.org

Natural ally on transparency issues. Request coalition partnership.

Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute

Nonpartisan policy organization that tracks government spending.

Website: indianafiscal.org

Can help analyze encryption costs and budget implications.

Fire/EMS Allies

Indiana Fire Chiefs Association

Fire chiefs have interoperability concerns when police encrypt without coordination.

Contact your local fire chief. Document any coordination issues from encryption.

Indiana Professional Fire Fighters

Union can provide political support and credibility on public safety arguments.

Frame as public safety coordination issue. Fire/EMS voices carry weight with officials.

Indiana-Specific Resources

Everything you need to fight encryption in Indiana

Request

Indiana APRA Templates

Public records request templates for IC

 Status

Indiana Encryption Status

Current encryption status by agency

 Speak

Testimony Scripts

Ready for council or commission meetings

 Options

Hybrid Alternatives

Proposals officials can accept

 Plan

90-Day Campaign

Complete action timeline

 Unite

Build Coalitions

Partner with media and allies

Indiana Government Quick Links

  • Find Your Legislators: iga.in.gov (use "Find Your Legislator")
  • Public Access Counselor: in.gov/pac (file complaints, get guidance)
  • Indiana Association of Cities and Towns: citiesandtowns.org
  • Association of Indiana Counties: indianacounties.org
  • Coalition for Open Government: indianacog.org

Take Action for Transparency

Your voice matters. Here are concrete ways to advocate for open police communications in your community.

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Contact Your Representatives

Use our templates to email your local officials about police radio encryption policies.

Get Started
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Read Case Studies

See how encryption has affected real communities - from Highland Park to Chicago.

View Cases
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Spread Awareness

Share evidence about police radio encryption with your network and community.

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See the Evidence

Review the facts, myths, and research on police radio encryption.

View Evidence
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Public Testimony

Learn how to speak effectively at city council and public safety meetings.

Prepare to Speak
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Download Resources

Get FOIA templates, talking points, and materials for advocacy.

Access Toolkit