Baltimore Police Scanner: From Freddie Gray to Full Encryption
Baltimore—a city under federal oversight for police misconduct since 2017—encrypted its police radios in July 2023, silencing community watchdogs and journalists. Despite a consent decree requiring transparency reforms after Freddie Gray's death, the largest police agency in Maryland chose to go dark just as crime rates were finally declining.
Key Facts at a Glance
The Context: A City Under Federal Oversight
To understand why Baltimore's encryption decision is so significant, you must understand the city's recent history with police accountability.
Freddie Gray Dies in Police Custody
25-year-old Freddie Gray suffers a fatal spinal injury while being transported in a police van. His death sparks the largest protests Baltimore has seen in decades, with property damage, a state of emergency, and National Guard deployment.
DOJ Opens Investigation
The Department of Justice begins investigating the Baltimore Police Department's patterns and practices, eventually finding widespread civil rights violations.
Scathing DOJ Report Released
DOJ finds Baltimore police regularly violated constitutional rights of Black residents through unlawful stops, searches, arrests, and racial discrimination. The report documents excessive force and systemic misconduct.
Consent Decree Signed
Baltimore enters a legally binding agreement with DOJ requiring sweeping police reforms across 18 areas, with federal monitoring and independent oversight.
@ScanThePolice Launches
Following George Floyd's murder, Caitlin Goldblatt launches the Scan the Police Twitter account, live-tweeting Baltimore police scanner transmissions. The account quickly gains followers and exposes how much police activity doesn't require armed response.
Encryption Plans Announced
BPD announces plans to encrypt communications. ACLU of Maryland calls it "a gigantic step backwards." Plans are delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Encryption Goes Live
Baltimore Police switches to encrypted radio systems, becoming the largest agency in Maryland to delay public communications. Real-time scanner access ends.
The Irony: Encryption Under a Transparency Mandate
Baltimore is under a federal consent decree that specifically requires transparency reforms. The DOJ found the department engaged in patterns of misconduct that violated constitutional rights. Yet the same department, still under federal oversight, chose to eliminate one of the primary tools the public had for monitoring police activity in real time.
Consent Decree Says
"BPD will implement community policing initiatives that promote... transparency and accountability."
BPD Did
Encrypted all radio communications, blocking real-time public oversight of police activity.
As of 2025, Baltimore still has 15 active sections of its consent decree. The department achieved compliance in some areas—including transportation of detainees (the exact issue in Freddie Gray's death)—but fundamental reforms remain incomplete. And yet they proceeded with encryption anyway.
Scan the Police: The Watchdog They Silenced
In June 2020, amid nationwide protests following George Floyd's murder, a Twitter account called @ScanThePolice began live-tweeting Baltimore police scanner transmissions. Founded by Caitlin Goldblatt, the account quickly became an essential resource for understanding actual police activity.
What Scan the Police Revealed
- How much police activity didn't actually require armed response
- Discrepancies between official statements and real-time communications
- Patterns in how different neighborhoods were policed
- Response times and resource allocation decisions
David Rocah, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Maryland, called the account "incredibly useful and important" for showing how policing actually works on the ground.
"We thought it's only a matter of time before cops decide it's a problem."— Caitlin Goldblatt, Scan the Police founder, on learning of encryption plans
The encryption announcement came just months after Scan the Police launched. While BPD claimed the timing was coincidental—citing long-planned equipment upgrades—advocates noted the "terrible political optics" of reducing transparency while claiming to rebuild community trust.
How Baltimore's 15-Minute Delay Works
Baltimore didn't implement full blackout encryption. Instead, the department offers a 15-minute delayed feed through Broadcastify. While this sounds like a compromise, it eliminates most practical uses of scanner access.
Breaking News
A shooting that's "breaking news" at minute 1 is old news by minute 15. Journalists arrive at scenes after they've concluded.
Active Threats
During an active shooter or dangerous pursuit, 15 minutes is the difference between warning people and documenting history.
Real-Time Oversight
Accounts like @ScanThePolice can't provide immediate documentation. By the time audio releases, the narrative is already set.
Community Safety
Neighbors can't warn each other about nearby dangers. The information arrives after decisions have already been made.
Media Access: Selective Transparency
BPD stated that "established media outlets" who sign a memorandum of understanding would receive equipment for scanner access. However, this creates a two-tiered system where the department decides who qualifies as "established media"—explicitly excluding community watchdogs like Scan the Police.
The Opposition: Who Spoke Out
ACLU of Maryland
David Rocah called the encryption plan "a gigantic step backwards" in terms of police transparency and accountability, especially for a department under federal consent decree.
Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle
Adam Jackson, CEO of the grassroots think tank, said the move was "deeply concerning" and conflicted with recent police accountability legislation in Maryland.
Radio Television Digital News Association
RTDNA president Dan Shelley called radio encryption his organization's "biggest issue" in 2023, noting that departments are "using whatever excuse they can find to become much more secretive."
Community Watchdogs
Volunteers who monitored and documented police activity—including Scan the Police's approximately 20 volunteers—lost their ability to provide real-time public accountability.
The Bigger Picture: Baltimore's Crime and Trust Crisis
Baltimore has long struggled with both violent crime and police-community relations. Understanding this context reveals why encryption was such a controversial choice.
Crime Context
- Baltimore recorded 348 homicides in 2019—near-record levels
- 2023-2024 saw historic declines: 201 homicides in 2024 (lowest since 2011)
- Non-fatal shootings dropped 34% between 2023-2024
- Encryption implemented as crime was finally declining
Trust Context
- Freddie Gray's 2015 death sparked massive unrest
- DOJ found systemic constitutional violations
- Federal consent decree requires transparency reforms
- Community distrust remains high
The Critical Question
If Baltimore's crime rates are finally improving, and the department is supposedly making progress on consent decree reforms, why did they choose this moment to reduce public oversight? The timing suggests encryption isn't about safety—it's about control.
Impact on Local Journalism
Baltimore's local news ecosystem was already struggling before encryption. The combination of reduced scanner access and newsroom cuts has created significant blind spots.
Baltimore Sun Decline
The Sun's newsroom shrank from approximately 450 journalists to about 70-80. Buyouts and departures took decades of institutional knowledge. The paper was purchased by Sinclair executive David D. Smith in 2024, with at least 20 journalists leaving citing concerns about editorial direction.
Coverage Gaps
With fewer reporters and no real-time scanner access, incidents that would previously receive immediate coverage may now go unreported or be covered only through official police statements.
Delayed Response
The 15-minute delay means journalists arrive at scenes after they've concluded, dependent on official narratives rather than independent observation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Baltimore Police encrypt their radio communications?
Baltimore Police Department officially switched to encrypted radio systems on July 6, 2023. The department now provides a 15-minute delayed feed through Broadcastify instead of real-time access.
Can I still listen to Baltimore police scanner?
You can listen to Baltimore police communications with a 15-minute delay through Broadcastify. Real-time access is no longer available to the public. Media outlets with signed memoranda of understanding may receive equipment for access, but the public cannot hear live transmissions.
Why did Baltimore encrypt police radios?
Baltimore Police cited officer safety, interoperability with other agencies, and modernizing outdated radio equipment as reasons for encryption. Critics argue the timing—following the George Floyd protests and the rise of police accountability Twitter accounts like Scan the Police—suggests the real motivation was reducing public oversight.
What happened to Scan the Police Baltimore?
The @scanthepolice Twitter account, which began live-tweeting Baltimore police scanner transmissions in June 2020, was effectively shut down when the department encrypted communications in July 2023. The account had exposed police activity that didn't require armed responses and was described by the ACLU as 'incredibly useful and important.'
Is Baltimore still under a DOJ consent decree?
Yes. Baltimore has been under a federal consent decree since 2017 following the death of Freddie Gray and a DOJ investigation that found systemic racial bias and excessive force. As of 2025, 15 sections of the consent decree remain active, though the department has achieved compliance in some areas.
How does Baltimore's encryption compare to other cities?
Baltimore's 15-minute delay is shorter than Chicago's 30-minute delay but still eliminates real-time public safety awareness. Both cities made the switch after 2020 protests. Cities like Highland Park, Illinois maintain open scanners that proved critical during the 2022 mass shooting.
Take Action: Baltimore Resources
If you're concerned about police transparency in Baltimore, here's how you can get involved:
Contact City Council
Baltimore City Council has oversight of police policies. Contact your council member about encryption concerns.
Baltimore City CouncilFile FOIA Requests
Request documents about the encryption decision, including any evidence of scanner-related harm and communications about media access policies.
FOIA TemplatesMonitor Consent Decree Progress
The BPD Monitoring Team tracks consent decree compliance. Their reports may address transparency concerns.
BPD Monitoring TeamSupport Local Journalism
Subscribe to outlets still covering police accountability, including The Baltimore Banner and Baltimore Brew.
Sources
- Baltimore Police Department: BPD to implement timed encryption
- Baltimore Brew: Police watchdog would be silenced under encryption plan
- Fox Baltimore: Baltimore Police now encrypting, delaying radio transmissions
- CBS Baltimore: Baltimore Police will switch to new radio system
- Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle: Baltimore Police to encrypt scanner transmissions
- City of Baltimore Consent Decree
- BPD Monitoring Team
- WYPR: Baltimore sees lowest homicide rate in over a decade
Take Action for Transparency
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