Radio silence

Here's a link to a story out of Burlington, Vt., but it's an issue the NINA board already has identified as an imminent problem in Illinois, too.

Without fanfare last spring, Burlington police encrypted their main broadcast channel, making it impossible to hear anything being discussed over the most commonly used police radio frequency. Several of Burlington’s lesser-used channels remain unencrypted, as does the city fire department’s channel.

The encryption came in response to what Police Chief Mike Schirling says was a growing problem: criminals, or teams of criminals, using police scanners and text messaging to anticipate and evade police. Someone listening to a scanner at home can track police, Schirling says, and relay their movements via text message to an accomplice breaking into cars or selling drugs on a street corner. The encryption will improve public safety and officer safety, the chief says.

Understood ... sort of. Couldn't the bad guys always track police, scanner or not? And then there's that little matter about the news media being able to inform the public of an emergency. Or serve as watchdog of government, including police departments that say, "Just trust us."