Resources for Every Audience
Targeted Guides for Maximum Impact
Different stakeholders need different arguments. Whether you're a journalist fighting for press access, an elected official evaluating policy, or a parent concerned about school safety—find resources tailored to your perspective.
Building Winning Coalitions
The most successful anti-encryption campaigns unite diverse stakeholders. Journalists, fire chiefs, parents, and business owners all have legitimate reasons to oppose encryption—and officials pay attention when multiple constituencies speak up.
In Palo Alto, the coalition included local media, fire department representatives, and community members. Each brought different arguments and political pressure points. Your campaign needs the same diversity.
Choose Your Audience
Each guide provides role-specific arguments, resources, and action steps
For Journalists
Cover the Story, Fight for Access
Story angles, FOIA strategies, interview questions for officials, and resources from RTDNA and SPJ on press freedom.
- Breaking news alternatives
- Interview question bank
- FOIA request templates
For Elected Officials
Policy Briefings & Model Language
District-level briefing materials, questions to ask your police chief, constituent impact data, and model ordinance language.
- One-pager for briefings
- Questions for police chief
- Model policy language
For Fire/EMS Leaders
Technical Interoperability Briefing
P25 technical deep dive, interoperability case studies, council presentation materials, and hybrid system proposals.
- P25 interop analysis
- Technical case studies
- Presentation materials
For Fire/EMS Advocates
Coalition Building with First Responders
How encryption affects fire/EMS operations, talking points for engaging fire leadership, and real-world coordination failure examples.
- Interoperability impacts
- Fire chief outreach
- DC Fire case study
For Parents & Families
School Safety & Community Awareness
How families use scanner access for school emergencies, neighborhood safety, and staying informed about local incidents.
- School lockdown alerts
- Neighborhood awareness
- Emergency information
For Business Owners
Security & Operational Intelligence
How businesses use scanner access for security decisions, employee safety, and operational planning.
- Security monitoring
- Employee safety
- Delivery routing
For Vulnerable Communities
Oversight & Accountability
Why communities with histories of police misconduct need scanner access for accountability and safety.
- Police oversight
- Community safety
- Civil rights monitoring
For Law Enforcement
The Case for Transparency
Evidence that scanner access doesn't harm officers, and why transparency benefits police-community relations.
- Zero harm evidence
- Community trust
- Accountability benefits
Building Your Coalition
These stakeholder guides help you understand each group's perspective. To learn how to recruit and organize them into an effective coalition, see our tactical guide.
Who to recruit first
Fire/EMS leadership and local journalists are your highest-value early targets—they have direct operational stakes.
How to approach them
Lead with their specific concerns. Journalists care about access; fire chiefs care about interoperability; parents care about safety.
Maintaining unity
Different stakeholders may have different ultimate goals. Focus on the shared opposition to encryption.
Quick Start by Role
Your first action step based on who you are
File a FOIA request for scanner incident records. The answer—almost certainly zero harm cases—becomes your story.
Get FOIA Templates →Request a briefing from your police chief with specific questions about encryption costs and evidence.
Get Briefing Materials →Document any interoperability concerns and request a seat at the table for encryption discussions.
Get Technical Briefing →Find your city council meeting schedule and prepare 2-minute testimony using our scripts.
Get Testimony Scripts →Frequently Asked Questions
Who uses police scanners and why does encryption affect them?
Police scanners are used by journalists for breaking news coverage, fire/EMS for interoperability, parents for school safety awareness, businesses for security decisions, amateur radio operators, neighborhood watch groups, and civil rights monitors. Encryption cuts off all these legitimate users.
How can journalists fight police radio encryption?
Journalists can file FOIA requests, join media coalitions, pitch stories on encryption's impact, attend council meetings, and coordinate with press freedom organizations like RTDNA and SPJ who have issued statements against encryption.
What can elected officials do about police encryption?
Elected officials can require public hearings before encryption, mandate hybrid systems that keep dispatch open, add transparency requirements to police contracts, request cost-benefit analyses, and pass ordinances requiring media access provisions.
Why do fire departments oppose police encryption?
Fire and EMS departments often rely on police radio access for scene safety, resource coordination, and situational awareness. Encryption breaks interoperability and has caused documented coordination failures during major incidents.
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
Share evidence about police radio encryption with your network and community.
Public Testimony
Learn how to speak effectively at city council and public safety meetings.
Prepare to Speak