The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is embarking on a $390 million endeavor to overhaul its radio communication system.
This move has ignited a heated debate over transparency and accountability in policing. The plan involves fully encrypted police radio channels by December 2024, a dramatic shift away from a practice that has allowed the public and the press to monitor police dispatches since 1932, as per Gothamist.
NYPD's Radio Encryption Sparks Transparency Debate
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 22: A New York Police Department (NYPD) officer speaks on his radio in Times Square on September 22, 2013 in New York City. The NYPD announced that they would be increasing security in high traffic areas throughout the city in response to an attack aimed at westerns at a mall in Nairobi, Kenya. At least 68 people have been killed in the attack so far.
NYPD Chief of Information Technology, Ruben Beltran, defended the move during a recent City Council hearing, citing concerns about the misuse of public access to police radio channels. He asserted that "bad actors" had exploited this open communication channel in various ways, including fleeing from police officers who could be tracked through radio transmissions.
Additionally, individuals had breached the system to disrupt communications with music or their voices. At the same time, some opportunistic entities, including ambulance chasers and tow truck companies, had used the airwaves to profit from medical emergencies.
"We have to stop giving the bad guys our game plan," Beltran argued during the hearing.
Critics of the plan, however, contend that it will hinder transparency and accountability for law enforcement. Many journalists and photojournalists rely on police radios to cover breaking news and hold police officers accountable for their actions.
They argue that public access to police radio communications has played a vital role in informing the public about incidents such as the killing of Eric Garner and other high-profile cases.
Councilmember Robert Holden labeled the move to encrypted police radios as "a crime in itself," and Councilmember Vickie Paladino emphasized that there should never be a blackout of the press, according to Daily News.
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NY Senator Proposes Police Radio Transparency Act
State Senator Michael Gianaris has introduced a bill, the Keep Police Radio Public Act, aimed at preserving news media's access to police radio communications while addressing concerns related to public safety. Under this proposal, credentialed news media would be allowed real-time access to police radio transmissions, while the public could listen on a 10-minute delay.
Gianaris explained that the legislation is designed to strike a balance between transparency and the need for certain protections, acknowledging that the NYPD is attempting to address legitimate issues. Most police departments in the state currently have unencrypted police scanners and would only be affected if they chose to change their systems.
Critics argue that the NYPD's move to encrypted police radios aligns with a broader nationwide trend, where police departments are increasingly opting for encrypted radio scanners. However, they emphasize the importance of upholding transparency and accountability in law enforcement.
The debate over encrypted police radios has sparked concerns about the future of public access to vital information and the role of the press in monitoring law enforcement activities. As the NYPD's radio system upgrade progresses over the next few years, the fate of transparency in police communications remains a topic of intense discussion in New York City, Yahoo News reported.
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