Monmouth County: Sheriff Golden's "No Compromise" Encryption
When other law enforcement leaders proposed hybrid encryption—keeping routine dispatch open while protecting tactical operations—Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden rejected compromise entirely. His position: 100% encryption, no exceptions. Over 620,000 residents now have zero access to their police communications.
The "No Compromise" Philosophy
Sheriff Shaun Golden has made his position clear: there is no middle ground on encryption. Unlike sheriffs in other counties who have advocated for balanced approaches—encrypting sensitive tactical channels while keeping routine dispatch accessible—Golden demands total lockdown.
This isn't a technical limitation. P25 digital radio systems easily support selective encryption, allowing departments to protect undercover operations and sensitive tactical communications while maintaining public access to routine calls. Golden has simply chosen not to use this capability.
Two Sheriffs, Two Philosophies
Ocean County Sheriff Mastronardy
Recommended Compromise
- Primary dispatch channels: Open
- Tactical/sensitive channels: Encrypted
- Philosophy: Balance security with transparency
- Result: Municipal departments ignored recommendation, encrypted everything anyway
Monmouth County Sheriff Golden
No Compromise
- All channels: Encrypted
- All operations: Encrypted
- Philosophy: Total information control
- Result: County-wide blackout by design
Two neighboring New Jersey counties. Two approaches to public access. Both now largely encrypted—but only one sheriff explicitly rejected transparency as a value worth preserving.
The Monmouth County System
Monmouth County operates a P25 digital radio system covering the Sheriff's Office and numerous municipal departments. The system is technically capable of selective encryption—the standard compromise position advocated by press freedom organizations nationwide.
Instead, everything is locked:
- Sheriff's Office dispatch: Encrypted
- Sheriff's tactical channels: Encrypted
- Sheriff's administrative communications: Encrypted
- Municipal department communications: Following the sheriff's lead—encrypted
Encrypted Agencies Across Monmouth County
The following major agencies operate fully encrypted, locking out the public from monitoring their operations:
Monmouth County Sheriff
Freehold Township PD
Middletown Township PD
Howell Township PD
Marlboro Township PD
Manalapan Township PD
This is a partial list. The actual number of encrypted agencies in Monmouth County continues to grow.
What 620,000 Residents Lost
Monmouth County's population exceeds 620,000 people. These residents have lost:
Real-Time Awareness
No ability to monitor police activity in their neighborhoods
Journalism
Local reporters can't cover breaking incidents or verify police statements
Emergency Information
Active shooter, hazmat, or pursuit warnings now come only through official channels—if at all
Accountability
No independent record of police communications during controversial incidents
The Accountability Vacuum
Without public scanner access, accountability depends entirely on:
- Body cameras—which departments control and can delay releasing
- Internal affairs—which investigates itself
- Official statements—which can be crafted long after events
- OPRA requests—which can be delayed, redacted, or denied
Real-time scanner access provided something none of these can: contemporaneous public record that no one could edit after the fact.
The Hybrid Alternative Golden Rejected
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) and press freedom organizations nationwide advocate a straightforward compromise:
The Hybrid Approach
- Keep open: Routine dispatch, traffic stops, general calls for service
- Encrypt: Undercover operations, tactical responses, sensitive investigations
- Result: Officers protected during sensitive operations; public maintains access to routine activity
This approach is used successfully in departments across the country. It addresses the legitimate security concerns law enforcement raises while preserving the public access that enables journalism, accountability, and emergency awareness.
Sheriff Golden has explicitly rejected this compromise. For him, the only acceptable level of public access is zero.
No Evidence, Full Encryption
Monmouth County encrypted without documenting any scanner-related harm
When departments encrypt, they claim it's necessary for officer safety. When asked for documentation—specific incidents where scanner access compromised an operation or endangered an officer—they have none.
Monmouth County is no exception. The encryption decision was made without evidence that public scanner access had ever caused harm. It was made because it could cause harm, theoretically, someday, perhaps.
Meanwhile, the documented benefits of public access—journalism, accountability, emergency awareness, documented in case after case—are eliminated based on speculation.
What Monmouth County Residents Can Do
- Contact County Commissioners: The Board of County Commissioners can influence sheriff's office policy through budget and oversight
- Attend public meetings: Ask directly why hybrid encryption was rejected
- Submit OPRA requests: Request documentation of any incidents where scanner access caused harm
- Support local journalism: Encrypted departments require more investigative resources to cover—support outlets doing that work
- Connect with statewide advocates: ACLU-NJ, NJ Press Association, and RTDNA fight encryption across the state
- Vote: Sheriff is an elected position—encryption policy is on the ballot
Take Action for Transparency
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Prepare to SpeakRelated Coverage
Sources
- Monmouth County P25 system documentation
- RadioReference.com: Monmouth County talkgroup verification
- NJ Press Association: Encryption impact analysis
- RTDNA: Police radio encryption best practices
- U.S. Census Bureau: Monmouth County population data