Get Involved

Starting a local chapter

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

1. Recruit 3-5 committed individuals who share your concern about transparency.
2. Research your situation: is your area already encrypted, is encryption being considered, and what's the timeline?
3. Set clear goals — prevent encryption, reverse it, or secure media access provisions.
4. Schedule weekly or biweekly coordination meetings to keep momentum going.
5. Create a communication plan with an email list, group chat, and social media presence.

Finding allies

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

• Local TV and radio news directors depend on scanners for breaking news.
• Fire departments are often opposed to police encryption due to interoperability concerns.
• ACLU chapters and press freedom organizations share similar concerns.
• Ham clubs and emergency communication volunteers understand the stakes.
• Neighborhood associations, parent groups, and civic organizations can add community weight.

Building coalitions

Diverse coalitions are harder for officials to dismiss:

• Center the coalition on opposition to encryption — that shared goal unites; other issues divide.
• Journalists care about access while civil liberties groups care about accountability — honor both priorities.
• Assign clear roles across media relations, council lobbying, testimony coordination, and research.
• Meet weekly so everyone stays aligned and the effort keeps moving.
• Use shared folders for FOIA responses, meeting dates, and contact lists.