San Francisco Police Scanner Deep Dive: The Tech Capital Chose Secrecy Over Transparency
In December 2021, SFPD encrypted all police radio for the first time since the department got radios in the early 20th century. The department created a media credentialing program that other cities have declined to match, but critics say handing police control over who monitors police is not a compromise — it's the problem.
What SF listeners can still monitor without a media credential
SFPD is encrypted, and the media access program leaves out independent journalists, bloggers, and the general public. But SF Fire partial dispatch, SFO aviation, federal agencies, Bay Area amateur repeaters, and NOAA weather all remain in the clear. This is the stack SF residents are actually using post-2021.
How it happened
SFPD radio was accessible to the public for nearly a century. The change came quickly in late 2021.
California DOJ Bulletin
The California Department of Justice issues a bulletin instructing law enforcement agencies to encrypt their radio transmissions to protect personally identifiable information (PII). Internal emails later revealed SFPD staff asking DOJ whether the Police Chief could opt out.
Internal Debate
Gene Ashton, senior radio communications technician for San Francisco, emailed the California DOJ after hearing the police chief might not want to move forward with encryption, asking if SFPD would face compliance issues.
Full encryption
SFPD encrypts nearly all radio traffic. Public access to police communications, which had existed for over 100 years, ends.
Media access program
SFPD rolls out a credentialing system providing encrypted receivers to approved journalists. Fire and non-police emergency services remain partially accessible.
The media access program: what it does and doesn't solve
Unlike departments that locked everyone out, San Francisco built a middle path. It has significant problems.
How the program works
What It Offers
- Credentialed journalists receive encrypted radio receivers
- Real-time access (no 30-minute delays like Chicago)
- Coverage for major news organizations
- Recognition that media needs scanner access
Critical Concerns
- SFPD decides who is "media," with potential exclusion of bloggers, independent journalists, or critical outlets
- Journalists may self-censor coverage to protect their access
- Ordinary residents are blocked from tracking crime in their neighborhoods in real-time
- Academics studying police activity lose access
- If denied credentials, there is limited recourse
The gatekeeping powers don't need to be actively abused to have an effect. Journalists who depend on the credential to do their job know it can be taken away. That knowledge shapes coverage whether or not SFPD ever pulls a credential.
The tech industry's role
San Francisco is home to companies that publish transparency reports, fund open-data projects, and argue publicly for user privacy. Some of those same companies have funded the surveillance infrastructure SFPD now operates.
The transparency gap
Tech companies headquartered in San Francisco champion open data and user privacy in their public communications. The city's police department has eliminated one of the most basic forms of public oversight while expanding its surveillance capacity.
Industry funding for SFPD surveillance
SFPD's Real-Time Investigation Center was partly funded through the San Francisco Police Community Foundation, with contributions from donors including Ripple CEO Chris Larsen and Michael Moritz of Crankstart.
Technology vendors
SFPD works with Flock Safety, Skydio drones, Peregrine, Safe City Connect, and Constant Technologies. The department's surveillance capability has grown while its public radio access has shrunk.
Civic tech and accountability
Bay Area civic-tech organizations have pushed for government transparency in other cities. In their own backyard, police accountability tools have gone backward.
2020 protests: SFPD surveilled demonstrators without legal authority
While the encryption debate centered on officer privacy and public safety, SFPD's conduct during the George Floyd protests documented something else: a department willing to ignore its own city's rules when they got in the way.
The ACLU of Northern California and Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a lawsuit alleging SFPD commandeered the Union Square Business Improvement District's network of over 300 cameras from May 31 through June 7, 2020, to spy on Black Lives Matter protesters without obtaining required Board of Supervisors permission.
San Francisco's ordinance requires Board of Supervisors approval before police acquire or borrow surveillance technology. SFPD sought no such approval before commandeering the camera network.
SFPD cited privacy concerns to justify encrypting radio traffic. During the same period, it monitored thousands of protesters exercising First Amendment rights, using surveillance technology it had no legal authority to access.
What scanner access meant for protest coverage
San Francisco has hosted significant protest activity for decades. When scanner access was open, it meant reporters and independent observers could document police tactics in real time, track movements, and check official accounts against what was actually said over the radio.
- Independent documentation of police tactics during demonstrations
- Real-time information about police movements, available to protesters and bystanders
- A record that could be compared to official statements after the fact
- News coverage that didn't depend on police press releases as its only source
After the 2020 George Floyd protests, Oakland and other Bay Area departments moved to encrypt faster, citing the same concerns Seattle and San Jose raised. SFPD's encryption is part of that broader shift. In each case, the change reduced the public's ability to observe police conduct during the moments when that oversight matters most.
What you can still access
Options for monitoring police radio in San Francisco are limited:
Bay Area: how San Francisco fits
The Bay Area's encryption picture is more varied than Southern California, where nearly every major department has gone dark.
| Agency | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco PD | Encrypted (Media Access) | Credentialed journalists only |
| Oakland PD | Encrypted | No media access program |
| Berkeley PD | Encrypted | Council voted 8-1 for encryption |
| Palo Alto PD | Reversed to Open | Community pressure restored access |
| San Jose PD | Encrypted | Encrypted day before COVID lockdowns |
| Alameda County Sheriff | Encrypted | Part of East Bay regional encryption |
Palo Alto reversed course after a 20-month community campaign. That playbook is available to San Francisco residents willing to use it.
Why the stakes are higher in San Francisco
Several features of the city make police radio access more consequential than in most places:
Tourism
Millions of visitors come through San Francisco each year. During emergencies, tourists unfamiliar with the city's geography and resources are the most dependent on real-time public safety information.
Police interactions with homeless residents
San Francisco has one of the largest homeless populations in the country. Police encounters with homeless individuals have been a persistent accountability issue; encryption removes the public's ability to monitor those interactions.
Protests
Tech industry labor disputes, AI ethics demonstrations, and political protests happen regularly in San Francisco. Encrypted tactical channels mean journalists can't document police response in real time.
Earthquake response
San Francisco sits on active fault lines. In a major quake, police radio would be a primary coordination channel. Residents currently have no direct access to that traffic and depend on official communications that may be delayed or incomplete.
What San Francisco residents and journalists can do
The Board of Supervisors has oversight authority over SFPD policy. These are the most direct paths to changing the encryption situation:
- Contact your Supervisor: the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has oversight authority over police policies
- Support SB 719, California legislation that would require media access to encrypted police radio statewide
- If you're a journalist, apply for media credentials to test the system and document any barriers
- File public records requests asking for documentation of the media credentialing process and any denials
- Join advocacy groups: the Electronic Frontier Foundation, ACLU of Northern California, and California News Publishers Association are working on these issues
- Share the Palo Alto playbook to demonstrate that reversal is possible with sustained community pressure
Take Action for Transparency
Your voice matters. Here are concrete ways to advocate for open police communications in your community.
Contact Your Representatives
Use our templates to email your local officials about police radio encryption policies.
Get StartedRead Case Studies
See how encryption has affected real communities - from Highland Park to Chicago.
View CasesSpread Awareness
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Public Testimony
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Prepare to SpeakRelated Resources
Sources & Further Reading
- BuzzFeed News: "The San Francisco Police Department Has Encrypted Its Radio Feeds"
- Palo Alto Daily Post: "San Francisco finds an alternative to full encryption of police radios"
- Electronic Frontier Foundation: "San Francisco Police Illegally Used Surveillance Cameras at the George Floyd Protests"
- ACLU of Northern California: "Activists Sue San Francisco for Wide-Ranging Surveillance"
- SF Standard: "SFPD plants high-tech crime-fighting hub downtown"
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: "Trend toward local police radio encryption grows"