LaDoris Cordell and the newsies have it exactly right: encryption of all police radio transmissions allows police departments to hide too much. Any possibly sensitive or embarrassing information will be hidden and not otherwise released by the police departments. It may take a little time, but not much to significantly decrease the transparency provided by real time revelations, which allow follow-up questions. If they can't get software that allows some, but not most communications to be encrypted, maybe they should go shopping a little further.

This is just silly.

This is the police not wanting people to be able to easily follow what they're up to. Sure all the comms are recorded and can be requested through public records requests but that's a hassle.

What I think really drove this was internet apps taking it to the masses. Before that you had to at least buy a scanner and find the frequencies. It was a little work at least.

Still.. our police do not work in secret. We should be able to monitor what they are doing in our neighborhoods.