[Scan-DC] Windsor (Ontario, Canada) PD encrypt radios tomorrow

[Alan Henney]

Windsor Star (Ontario)

April 21, 2009 Tuesday
Final Edition

Police radio scanners to fall silent

BYLINE: Trevor Wilhelm, The Windsor Star

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A2

LENGTH: 476 words

Windsor police will block the media and armchair scanner listeners
from monitoring their radio communications starting Wednesday, saying
they're trying to protect the privacy of accused criminals and
victims.

Sgt. Brett Corey said the change will stop thousands of people with
scanners across Windsor from listening in on police as they respond to
emergencies and other calls.

"When our officers are at scenes, they're running personal information
of not only victims, but accused people," said Corey. "That
information is flowing over the airwaves freely. There are some
Freedom of Information Act issues that we have not been able to
control in the past. You've heard it how many times where somebody's
personal information is being given out over the air, with regard to
criminal records, conditions, sensitive information. With this new
digital system, we are now able to control how that information
flows."

Police will make the switch to an encrypted digital radio system at 7
a.m. Wednesday. Instead of permitting local media to monitor scanners,
police have created a website listing incidents after officers have
responded to them.

Insp. George McPhee said the switch is also part of a natural
progression in technology. The whole city will be on the same digital
system, including police, public works, transit and other departments,
he said. The cost to switch over the whole city system, including
infrastructure, equipment and a fourth transmitter site in the south
Windsor area, was $10 million.

"This is the natural evolution of the city system," said McPhee. "This
is not a police system. This is the corporate system. We're the first
group to go live on the new system, and we're going live on encrypted
mode."

Corey said Durham and Niagara regional police use the encrypted
system, and London police have had it for a decade.

"We're just one of the police services in a long line that's moving
this way," said Corey.

Apart from technological advances, police said they are mainly trying
to obey laws that prohibit the unintended release of people's
sensitive information.

"The only reason in the past we weren't able to protect that
information was we didn't have the means to," said McPhee.

Listening in on that sensitive information has been a popular pastime
for many Windsorites, said Corey.

"We go to calls and we're talking on the radio, and next thing you
know I'm hearing my voice in the guy's garage while he's sitting there
having a beer."

He said police have often received complaints from people whose names
have gone out over the airwaves.

"We get people calling in all the time saying 'I heard my name, what
are you doing giving that information out?'" said Corey. "We've never
had the capability of protecting that before. Now we do. We're looking
at it in terms of liability. We're trying to be proactive. Just
protect that information."