JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Get Involved

Every Voice Matters in the Fight for Transparency

This movement succeeds because ordinary citizens, professionals, and community members take action. Whether you have five minutes or five hours, there's a way for you to contribute.

Ways to Help

Start making a difference today with these concrete actions

Share Your Story

Your personal experience with police scanners matters. Whether you've used one for safety, journalism, or community awareness, your story can help others understand why transparency matters.

Submit your story

Attend Local Meetings

City councils, police commissions, and public safety boards make encryption decisions. Your presence at these meetings shows officials that citizens are watching and care about transparency.

Prepare for public meetings

File FOIA Requests

Public records requests reveal encryption costs, decision-making processes, and policy documents. This information is crucial for advocacy and public awareness campaigns.

Get FOIA templates

Write Letters to Editors

Local newspapers reach community members who may not know about encryption issues. A well-crafted letter to the editor raises awareness and can influence public opinion.

Media outreach tips

Contact Elected Officials

Elected officials respond to constituent concerns. A direct email, phone call, or in-person meeting with your city council member or state representative can move the needle on transparency.

Lobbying guide

Skills We Need

Your professional expertise can make a real difference

Researchers

Track encryption decisions across jurisdictions, document costs, and analyze policy impacts. Help build our evidence base with data-driven research.

  • Monitor city council agendas for encryption votes
  • Document encryption timelines and costs
  • Analyze FOIA responses for patterns

Writers

Create compelling case studies, blog posts, op-eds, and educational content that makes the case for transparency accessible to general audiences.

  • Write case studies of local encryption impacts
  • Draft op-eds for local newspapers
  • Create educational explainer content

Designers

Visual communication is powerful. Create infographics, social media graphics, and presentation materials that explain encryption issues clearly.

  • Design shareable infographics
  • Create social media graphics
  • Build presentation templates for advocates

Legal Experts

Review proposed legislation, analyze First Amendment implications, and provide guidance on public records requests and legal strategies.

  • Review model legislation language
  • Advise on FOIA request strategies
  • Analyze legal precedents for scanner access

Technical Experts

Explain P25 systems, encryption technologies, and radio interoperability in plain language. Counter misinformation about how radio systems work.

  • Explain technical concepts for general audiences
  • Review claims about encryption necessity
  • Document interoperability failures

Local Organizing

Build power in your community to fight encryption

Starting a Local Chapter

Local advocacy is most effective. Here's how to get started:

  1. Find your core team: Recruit 3-5 committed individuals who share your concern about transparency.
  2. Research your situation: Is your area already encrypted? Is encryption being considered? What's the timeline?
  3. Set clear goals: Prevent encryption, reverse it, or secure media access provisions?
  4. Establish regular meetings: Weekly or biweekly coordination keeps momentum going.
  5. Create a communication plan: Email list, group chat, and social media presence.
View campaign timeline

Finding Allies

You're not alone. These groups often share your concerns:

  • Local media: TV and radio news directors depend on scanners for breaking news.
  • Fire departments: Often opposed to police encryption due to interoperability concerns.
  • Civil liberties groups: ACLU chapters and press freedom organizations.
  • Amateur radio operators: Ham clubs and emergency communication volunteers.
  • Community organizations: Neighborhood associations, parent groups, civic organizations.
Coalition building guide

Building Coalitions

Diverse coalitions are harder for officials to dismiss:

  • Focus on shared goals: Opposition to encryption unites, other issues divide.
  • Respect different priorities: Journalists care about access; civil liberties groups care about accountability. Honor both.
  • Assign clear roles: Media relations, council lobbying, testimony coordination, research.
  • Meet regularly: Weekly coordination keeps everyone aligned and effective.
  • Share information: Use shared folders for FOIA responses, meeting dates, contacts.
Learn from success stories

Spread the Word

Help more people understand why scanner access matters

Social Media Toolkit

Ready-to-share content for Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Copy-and-paste posts with key facts and links.

Access social toolkit

Shareable Graphics

Infographics, quote cards, and visual explainers optimized for social sharing. Download and post to spread awareness.

Download graphics

Talking Points

Key facts and persuasive arguments for conversations with friends, family, and neighbors. Evidence-based points that counter common myths.

View talking points

Share This Site

The simplest way to help: share policeradioencryption.com with your network. Every new visitor is a potential advocate.

Stay Connected

Join the community working to preserve public access to police communications.

Contact Us

Have questions, want to contribute, or need help with local organizing?

Get in touch

Contribute on GitHub

This site is open source. Report issues, suggest improvements, or contribute code.

View on GitHub

Support This Work

This project is volunteer-driven. Your support helps keep it running and growing.

Donate

Ready to Make a Difference?

Start with one action today. Share a story, attend a meeting, or spread the word. Every contribution moves us closer to keeping police communications public.

Share Your Story Fight Encryption Guide