More police departments look to tune public out

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ENCRYPTED_POLICE_COMMUNICATIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-11-20-13-20-35

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Police departments around the country are working to shield their radio communications from the public as cheap, user-friendly technology has made it easy for anyone to use handheld devices to keep tabs on officers responding to crimes.

The practice of encryption has grown more common from Florida to New York and west to California, with law enforcement officials saying they want to keep criminals from using officers' internal chatter to evade them. But journalists and neighborhood watchdogs say open communications ensure that the public receives information that can be vital to their safety as quickly as possible.

D.C. police moved to join the trend this fall after what Chief Cathy Lanier said were several incidents involving criminals and smartphones. Carjackers operating on Capitol Hill were believed to have been listening to emergency communications because they were only captured once police stopped broadcasting over the radio, she said. And drug dealers at a laundromat fled the building after a sergeant used open airwaves to direct other units there - suggesting, she said, that they too were listening in.

"Whereas listeners used to be tied to stationary scanners, new technology has allowed people - and especially criminals - to listen to police communications on a smartphone from anywhere," Lanier testified at a D.C. Council committee hearing this month. "When a potential criminal can evade capture and learn, `There's an app for that,' it's time to change our practices."

[kickysnana]

1. Just found out that you cannot find recent local news online anymore

Article appeared in this weeks Pioneer Press about an officer involved shooting in the suburb of Roseville. The fellow was known to the police and had what the spokesman termed as "mental health" issues. He had never been jailed but had been transferred to the psych ward for a few days once every few years. An unintellgiable 911 call came from the apartment and the 20 year resident was shot dead while brandishing "a weapon" at his apartment door. His wife was inside and did not call 911 according to her brother and did not know the police were there until she heard the gunshots. They interviewed a next door neighbor who upon hearing the shots opened his door to see the police "handcuffing a dead man" and was ordered back inside. Neighbor said he was an OK guy and was surprised.

The apartment building was evacuated and people were put on a bus but were not allowed to have anyone come and get them. They were allowed back into their apartments on other floors at about 7 1/2 hours later but those on the same floor were taken to a Red Cross facility until later in the morning. While the State Crime Lab did their investigation. You would think that those on other floors could have been spared since it was the middle of the night and obviously there were enough law personal milling around to make sure they staid away from the crime scene. What were they afraid of? The policeman were 3 and 4 year veterans.

They had a big deal about local police better handling people who were upset so perhaps nobody died but I am not sure if that happened.

The link from Google is dead and it is not yet in the "archives" even though they said to look there.

[meow2u3]

2. What are they trying to hide?

Are they afraid they might face legal problems for cracking the skulls of innocent people? :shrug: