Browse All Topics
Comprehensive resources on police radio encryption, public safety, transparency, and community advocacy. Find evidence, case studies, solutions, and educational materials.
Evidence & Research
The documented case against police radio encryption
- Why Dangerous The comprehensive case against blanket police radio encryption.
- Myths vs Facts Debunking common arguments for police radio encryption with documented evidence.
- Pros & Cons An evidence-based analysis of police radio encryption arguments.
- Accountability How encryption eliminates public oversight and undermines democratic policing.
- Press Freedom Why journalists are fighting police radio encryption.
- Emergency Alerts How encryption blocks life-saving real-time emergency information.
- Community Impact Real-world consequences of police radio encryption for communities.
- Cost Analysis Millions spent on encryption with zero documented return on investment.
- Officer Safety Truth Zero documented cases of criminals using scanners to harm officers.
- Privacy Debate Why blanket encryption is a disproportionate response to privacy concerns.
- Interoperability New How encryption breaks multi-agency coordination between police, fire, and EMS.
- Criminal Scanner Use The evidence shows no documented cases of criminals exploiting scanner access.
Case Studies
Real-world examples of encryption impacts
- Highland Park How open police scanner access saved lives during the July 4, 2022 mass shooting.
- Chicago How Chicago's 30-minute delay and censorship harm public safety.
- NYPD New York New New York City breaks 92-year tradition of open police radio with $390M encrypted system.
- Toms River Fire NJ New How one fire district's encryption decision affects interoperability and community safety.
- Palo Alto Reversal New A 20-month fight by residents and council members that restored radio transparency.
- Oakland New OPD encrypted radios without consulting the police commission or city council.
- Berkeley New Despite Copwatch history and public opposition, Berkeley approved police radio encryption.
- Brazos County TX New County-wide encryption implemented with no public notice in the shadow of Uvalde.
- Colorado New How Colorado passed the first statewide law requiring police encryption policies include media access.
- Baltimore New Baltimore implemented a 15-minute delayed police scanner access model. Why delays still harm transparency.
- NY Hochul Veto New Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed 2025 legislation requiring press access to encrypted police radio.
- Montgomery County MD New Montgomery County council considering police radio encryption in 2025. Status and advocacy resources.
- By State Interactive database of police radio encryption status across the United States.
- California Deep dive into police radio encryption across California jurisdictions.
- Texas New Comprehensive guide to police radio encryption across Texas. Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin - current status.
- Florida New Comprehensive guide to police radio encryption across Florida. Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville - current status.
- New York State New NYPD's $390M encryption, Governor Hochul's veto of media access, and NYC Council Int. 1460.
- Illinois State New Chicago's 30-minute delay vs Highland Park's life-saving open access during the 2022 mass shooting.
- Maryland State New Montgomery County's DC-suburb encryption vs Baltimore's 15-minute delay compromise.
- Pennsylvania State New Philadelphia and Pittsburgh maintain partial access while PA State Police is fully encrypted.
- Ohio State New Ohio's three C's have adopted partial encryption while rural areas remain open.
- Michigan State New Detroit went fully encrypted in 2020 while Grand Rapids maintains transparency.
- Minnesota State New Minneapolis accelerated encryption after 2020 protests, creating an accountability paradox.
- Massachusetts State New Boston encrypted in 2016, years before the national trend. Analysis of long-term impacts.
- Georgia State New Atlanta went encrypted while Georgia's other major cities maintain transparency.
- Arizona State New Phoenix and Maricopa County fully encrypted. Tucson maintains partial access.
- Washington State New Seattle and Puget Sound agencies adopted partial encryption, preserving some access.
- Boise Idaho New Good news: Boise and Treasure Valley police radio remains open. Guide to monitoring Idaho agencies.
- Porter County IN New Porter County Sheriff is encrypted but Portage PD remains accessible. Complete guide to Northwest Indiana scanner access.
- Minneapolis MN New Minneapolis Police and most Twin Cities agencies are heavily encrypted. Guide to remaining options and advocacy.
- Denver CO New Denver metro is heavily encrypted. Guide to Denver, Aurora, and surrounding county scanner status.
- LAPD Los Angeles New How LAPD's 2019 encryption affected wildfire coverage and reshaped news media in America's second-largest city.
- Uvalde Communications New How communication breakdowns during the Uvalde tragedy reveal the information vacuum encryption creates.
- SF Media Access New Analysis of San Francisco's media credentialing system for police radio access—a middle ground approach.
- DC Metro Police New Federal-local jurisdiction overlap creates unique challenges for police radio access in the nation's capital.
- Eric Garner Case New What open scanner access meant for accountability during the Eric Garner case—and what's lost today under encryption.
- Timeline 70+ years of open communications and the post-2020 encryption surge.
Solutions & Action
How to fight encryption and what alternatives exist
- Campaign Timeline New A proven 90-day action plan for organizing against police radio encryption.
- FOIA Templates New Pre-written FOIA/public records requests to uncover encryption decisions and costs.
- Public Testimony New Ready-to-use testimony scripts and preparation guides for city council meetings.
- Build Coalitions New How to recruit fire/EMS, journalists, and community allies to fight encryption.
- Media Strategy New Templates for op-eds, letters to editors, press releases, and reporter pitches.
- Budget Intervention New How to identify and challenge encryption funding during budget season.
- Lobbying Guide New How to build relationships with council members, mayors, and commissioners on police encryption.
- Legal Pathways New FOIA challenges, civil rights attorney letters, demand letters, and lawsuit strategies.
- Toolkit New Consolidated templates, one-pagers, and print-friendly resources for your anti-encryption campaign.
- Social Media New TikTok, Reddit, Nextdoor, and Twitter/X tactics. Sample posts, hashtag coordination, and viral content strategies.
- Emergency Response New What to do when encryption is suddenly announced. Crisis templates, rapid coalition mobilization, and town hall organizing.
- Post-Victory New Preventing re-encryption attempts, policy language to lock in transparency, and long-term coalition maintenance.
- Fight Guide Step-by-step tactical guide for stopping police encryption in your community.
- Alternatives Better solutions exist that protect privacy without blocking public access.
- Model Laws Ready-to-use policy templates and legislative language.
- Success Stories Documented victories where communities stopped or reversed encryption.
Education & Resources
Learn about police radio technology and research
- How Scanners Work Complete guide to police scanner technology and radio systems.
- Encryption Guide New Everything you need to know about police radio encryption: what it is, why it's spreading, and what you can do.
- Radio Silence New Police departments are going silent, cutting off communities from emergency information. Learn what dispatch radio silence means and why it matters.
- Encrypted Scanners New Looking for a scanner that decodes encrypted police radio? Learn why no such product exists and what you can do.
- Decrypt Police Radio New Searching for how to decrypt police radio? Learn why it's impossible, illegal, and what you can actually do.
- Glossary Technical terminology explained for police radio and encryption.
- Encryption Types Understanding different encryption systems and implementations.
- Sources Comprehensive bibliography of evidence on police radio encryption.
- First Amendment Constitutional analysis of press freedom and scanner access.
- Community Policing Why encryption contradicts stated community policing goals.
- Fire/EMS Issues How police encryption harms multi-agency emergency coordination.
- Environmental Chemical spills, hazmat incidents, and public health emergencies.
- Buying Guide New Complete buying guide for first-time scanner buyers. Compare models, learn what to check before buying, and understand why encryption may make your purchase useless.
- 10-Codes New Complete guide to police 10-codes, phonetic alphabet, and scanner terminology. Learn what 10-4, 10-20, and other codes mean.
- Active Shooter Safety New How police scanner access provides critical real-time information during active shooter events. Case studies from Highland Park and beyond.
- Laws by State New State-by-state guide to police scanner laws. Learn where scanners are legal, vehicle restrictions, and what you can do in every U.S. state.
- Legal in Car New Complete guide to police scanner vehicle laws by state. Learn which 5 states have restrictions and what really happens during traffic stops.
- Encryption Response New Your police department just announced encryption. Here's your action plan for the first 72 hours, first week, and beyond.
- Journalists Guide New Essential guide for journalists on police scanner rights, encryption impacts, and fighting for press access.
- Wildfire Safety New How to use police scanners during wildfire season. Monitor CAL FIRE and emergency channels for real-time evacuation info.
- SDR Guide New Complete guide to using Software Defined Radio as a police scanner. Hardware, software, and setup process.
- Programming Guide New Step-by-step guide to programming your police scanner. Find frequencies, program channels, and troubleshoot common issues.
- Trunked Radio New Understand how trunked radio systems work, why digital doesn't automatically mean encrypted, and counter misleading police claims.
- Neighborhood Watch New How neighborhood watch groups use police scanners to protect their communities and why encryption threatens local safety efforts.
- FOIA Requests New Step-by-step guide to obtaining police radio recordings through Freedom of Information Act requests.
- History New Explore 100 years of police radio history, from the first broadcasts in 1921 to today's encryption debate.
- Trucker Guide New Complete guide to police scanners for truckers. CDL-specific laws, best mobile scanners, and highway patrol frequencies.
- Security Guide New How private security professionals use police scanners for situational awareness and the impact of encryption on operations.
- Weather & Storms New Essential scanner frequencies for severe weather monitoring, storm chasing, and emergency preparedness.
- Council Advocacy New A practical guide to advocating against police radio encryption at city council meetings.