Regional Radio Infrastructure: How Shared Systems Enable Encryption Waves
Understanding the infrastructure behind coordinated encryption decisions is essential for effective advocacy
When Seattle, Federal Way, and Bothell all announce encryption within months of each other, it's not coincidence—they're all on the same regional radio system. Understanding how shared infrastructure enables coordinated encryption is crucial for communities fighting transparency loss.
The Pattern
Regional radio systems create conditions for encryption to spread rapidly. Once infrastructure supports encryption and one major agency adopts it, neighboring agencies face pressure to follow. What looks like independent decisions by separate departments is often a coordinated wave enabled by shared technology.
How Regional Systems Work
Traditional radio communications required each agency to build and maintain its own infrastructure—towers, equipment, frequencies. This was expensive and created interoperability problems when agencies needed to communicate during emergencies.
Regional radio systems solve this by creating shared infrastructure:
Shared Towers
Multiple agencies use the same network of radio towers, reducing costs and expanding coverage
Pooled Frequencies
Trunked systems share spectrum efficiently, assigning channels dynamically as needed
Interoperability
All agencies on the system can communicate during multi-agency incidents
Regional Governance
Oversight boards make policy decisions that affect all participating agencies
Major Regional Systems
These systems serve as case studies in how shared infrastructure shapes encryption decisions:
Case Study: PSERN and the Washington Wave
The Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network (PSERN) illustrates how regional infrastructure enables coordinated encryption.
PSERN Goes Live
King County's new regional radio system launches, replacing aging infrastructure. The P25-based system supports optional encryption.
Federal Way Encrypts
Federal Way Police Department announces full encryption, citing the new PSERN capabilities.
Bothell Follows
Bothell Fire and Police announce encryption "to align with regional partners."
Seattle Announces Tactical Encryption
Seattle Police and Fire announce partial encryption for tactical channels, keeping dispatch open—for now.
The Pattern Emerges
Within months of PSERN's full deployment, multiple agencies began encrypting. The shared infrastructure provided both technical capability and political cover ("we're aligning with the regional system").
Case Study: NJICS and the New Jersey Explosion
New Jersey leads the nation in encryption adoption, with 45+ new agencies encrypting in 2026 alone. The state's NJICS infrastructure plays a central role.
The NJICS system provides P25 infrastructure across all 21 New Jersey counties. As agencies migrate to the state system, many are choosing to enable encryption—a policy decision, not a technical requirement.
Essex County demonstrates the cascade effect: when major agencies like Newark and Jersey City encrypted, surrounding towns (Belleville, Bloomfield, Orange, East Orange) quickly followed, creating a county-wide blackout.
Case Study: ARMER and the Twin Cities Blackout
Minnesota's ARMER system—one of the oldest statewide P25 networks—shows how established infrastructure eventually enables encryption waves.
ARMER Launches
Minnesota builds statewide P25 infrastructure, initially operating in clear mode.
Hennepin County Sheriff Encrypts
First major ARMER agency to encrypt, citing state data privacy regulations.
Minneapolis Police Encrypts
In the city where George Floyd was killed, police encrypt all dispatch traffic.
St. Paul Follows
Minnesota's capital city encrypts, completing the Twin Cities blackout.
The George Floyd Connection
Minneapolis—where leaked radio traffic helped expose police misconduct during George Floyd's murder—now encrypts all communications. The ARMER infrastructure that enabled transparency for decades now enables its opposite.
The Domino Effect Explained
Regional systems create conditions for rapid encryption adoption through several mechanisms:
Technical Capability
Once infrastructure supports encryption, the technical barrier disappears. Agencies don't need to invest in new systems—they just enable a feature.
Interoperability Arguments
"If neighboring agencies encrypt, we need to for joint operations." This argument pressures holdouts even though interoperability doesn't require encryption.
Political Cover
"We're following regional standards" shifts responsibility from local officials to the regional system.
Vendor Pressure
Radio vendors often recommend encryption as "best practice" during system upgrades, creating artificial momentum.
How to Fight Encryption at the Regional Level
Understanding regional infrastructure changes how advocates should approach the fight:
Identify Governance Bodies
Find out who oversees your regional system. PSERN has a board, NJICS has state oversight, ARMER has regional councils. These are the decision-makers.
Demand Regional Policies
Push for system-wide transparency requirements. If the regional policy mandates unencrypted dispatch, individual agencies can't easily encrypt.
Coordinate Across Communities
Connect with advocates in other cities on your regional system. Unified pressure across multiple jurisdictions is more effective than isolated efforts.
Request Public Hearings
Before any agency on the regional system encrypts, demand public discussion. Make the governance body address transparency concerns.
Propose Alternatives
Present regional solutions: delayed feeds for all agencies, media access programs, or partial encryption that keeps dispatch open.
Attend Regional Meetings
Regional boards meet regularly. Show up, speak during public comment, and make transparency a recurring agenda item.
Key Takeaways
- Encryption is contagious: When one agency on a regional system encrypts, others face pressure to follow
- Infrastructure enables but doesn't require: Regional P25 systems support encryption but can operate entirely in clear mode
- Follow the governance: Regional systems have oversight bodies—that's where advocacy should focus
- Coordinate regionally: Communities on the same system should work together
- Act early: Once encryption momentum builds, it's harder to stop. Engage before decisions are made
Research Your Regional System
Find out what radio infrastructure your community uses and who governs it.