Those that want to do harm to the public and first responders, if they're monitoring the tactics and how emergency services respond, we need to limit the access to that information," Williamson County Public Safety Director Bill Jorgensen told NewsChannel 5. "The channels we use day in and day out to respond to the public's need will be encrypted. With the new system, Williamson County will go from 20 channels to 300. It also has the capability of blocking radio channels. The county is currently working to unveil a new radio system that has the ability to connect with the radio systems in Nashville. It is the same reason why public safety officials in Williamson County decided to do the same thing. MNPD Spokesperson Don Aaron said the decision is to help keep law enforcement and the public safe from harm. (WTVF) - The Metro Nashville Police Department plans to roll out a system that would encrypt their radio channels from reaching the public.Īnyone who listens to radio traffic through police scanners, apps or websites, which include news organizations and neighborhood watch group administrators, will not be able to listen to the communication by August. Primary dispatch channels will be encrypted through the new system, while interoperability and mutual aid channels will not be encrypted, she said.NASHVILLE, Tenn. ![]() ![]() Williamson to make similar changesĪs Williamson County agencies roll out a new radio system, the county's Joint Communications Network Authority is also facilitating more encryption on police radio channels in Brentwood and Franklin starting next week.Ībout half of the more than 300 channels on the new system will be encrypted, said Hannah Bleam, external affairs officer for Williamson County Public Safety and Emergency Management. Metro Nashville Fire Department spokesman Joseph Pleasant confirmed it is planning to encrypt three additional radio channels in the future, although a time frame hasn't been finalized. Its primary dispatch channel will not be encrypted. Specific agencies can determine whether to encrypt their own administrative and tactical talkgroups, the procedures say.Īaron said the committee will update the procedure at its next meeting to allow for full encryption of all radio channels. The procedures currently state "primary dispatch and interoperable talkgroups will not be encrypted at any time to ensure interoperability with outside agencies." "Each of our eight precincts has a community coordinator, a sergeant, whose full-time job is to liaison with neighborhood leaders, neighborhood watch groups and business groups," he said.Ī committee comprised of Nashville departments that use the radio system set standard operating procedures for its use. The public can still use a crime mapping website to stay informed about their communities, Aaron said. "Just because there's potential negative intent, are we assuming negative intent for everybody out there? If that's the case, it's probably a little overreaching," Pryor said. While he thinks concerns about officer safety are valid, Pryor doesn't agree with the approach of excluding all people from listening to MNPD communications on scanners. Some radio channels used to relay medical information or tactical plans are already encrypted. Scanners offer an unfettered and uncensored source of information that Pryor thinks taxpayers should be able to access. Neither a Nashville police officer nor a member of the public has ever been injured or killed on duty as a result of a criminal who was listening to a scanner, Aaron confirmed. "A person planning to do harm to officers or the public needs only a smart phone with internet access to listen in pretty much real time to where officers are dispatched, what they are saying, and how they may be working to resolve a tactical situation," Aaron said. He pointed to websites that stream radio transmissions from police agencies, including MNPD. ![]() Why the change? To keep officers and the public safe, said MNPD spokesman Don Aaron. That means anyone with a radio scanner - a receiver that scans through multiple channels and lets you listen to radio traffic - will no longer be able to hear Nashville police officers communicate as they respond to incidents. Some agencies in Williamson County will begin encrypting channels as early as next week. The Metro Nashville Police Department plans to encrypt all of its radio channels by August. Local public safety agencies serving nearly a million people in the Nashville area will soon encrypt their primary radio channels, meaning news outlets and citizens will no longer be able to listen to communications in real time.
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