[Scan-DC] State police radio system tunes out public, media say

[Alan Henney]

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State police radio system tunes out public, media say
Newspaper group says loss of access is problematic, but police say a fix involving website is in the works.

Daniel Patrick Sheehan

Of The Morning Call

11:45 AM EDT, June 6, 2010

When state police chased and shot a man in Schuylkill County in May, they communicated as police always do: by radio. But the usual incidental audience for such events -- reporters and police-scanner buffs -- heard none of it.

That's because state police at Frackville have joined many of their counterparts across Pennsylvania in switching to OpenSky, a wireless communications system with encrypted digital transmissions that can't be picked up or decoded by scanners.

Police like the idea that their communications are shielded from the public. That's especially important in undercover work, when drug dealers or other targets might be tuned in. But the switch seems likely to hamper the media's ability to inform the public of major events, according to the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.

''It blocks public access to information that prior to OpenSky was public, and that's problematic,'' said PNA counsel Melissa Melewsky. ''Often, people don't realize something is going wrong unless they hear it over the scanner.''

The loss of public access to state police channels is a consequence of a years-long effort to move police and other agencies off crowded analog radio channels into more efficient digital systems that can carry voice and data transmissions.

State police in most other parts of Pennsylvania have already switched to OpenSky under an initiative called the Statewide Public Safety Radio System, which began during the Ridge administration but has been beset by delays.

''At this time, there are no scanners available that can decode it,'' said Dan Egan of the Governor's Office of Administration, which is overseeing the change. ''It's a benefit in regards to the safety of the officers. It's a challenge for folks in [the press] and members of the public who want to listen to those sorts of things.''

To Melewsky, the issue compounds what has long been a point of contention between media and law enforcement -- access to information. While she acknowledged that some police communications should be confidential -- the movements of the governor or president, for example -- ''some of it is just public information.''

''We have a terrible time getting access to police records in Pennsylvania, and often our best access comes from on-the-scene reporting,'' she said. ''If that critical first step is cut out, it's scary to think how little access we'll have. It's really closing down the genesis of much of the media's reporting on police and emergency officials. It has the potential to be devastating.''

State Police Capt. Adam Kisthardt, who has been overseeing the change at the agency's Harrisburg headquarters, said relief is on the horizon. The agency is creating five central dispatch centers across the state -- two already exist, in Harrisburg and Norristown -- and these locations would constantly update a website listing police calls.

While details would be limited, the pages would at least give the nature and location of incidents. Even so, the timetable for completing the centers is unclear, meaning access to information will remain uncertain for now. The Web page currently lists only traffic incidents.

Kisthardt said officials considered providing digital feeds to media outlets, but dismissed the idea as too costly. Another idea -- broadcasting over the Internet -- raised homeland security concerns. State police are first responders to incidents at nuclear power plants, and officials worried someone could phone in a threat to a plant and use the Internet to monitor response.

''We've looked into this a great deal,'' Kisthardt said. ''We're pleased with the security of the system from our perspective. Unfortunately, what's a benefit for our troopers is not necessarily good for the media.''

daniel.sheehan at mcall.com

610-820-6598

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