Illinois Bill Would Give Media Access to Encrypted Police Radio Communications

An Illinois legislator has introduced a bill requiring local law enforcement agencies to provide newspapers and licensed broadcasters with live access to encrypted law enforcement radio systems.

The Chicago Police Department began encrypting some radio channels over a year ago. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration claimed encoding was necessary because criminals were monitoring the airwaves and, at times, interrupting police radio traffic with stolen police radios or equipment purchased independently.

All 22 Chicago police district frequencies are encrypted. Many suburban police agencies have used encryption for years, and conversion to encrypted networks is becoming increasingly common, CWB Chicago reports.

The city of Chicago allows Broadcastify, a company that provides online access to radio frequencies nationwide, to stream the transmissions on a 30-minute delay. Most cities, however, provide no public access at all.