[Scan-DC] More on Montgomery County police encryption

[Alan Henney]

From: MCPD_PIO
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2025 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: MCPD SCANNERS



Good afternoon,

Below is a statement from Darren Francke, Chief of the Patrol Services
Bureau:



The Montgomery County Department of Police is proceeding with a plan to
encrypt all radio channels, to include dispatch channels. In following
national best practices, the department is working to encrypt its emergency
communications channels to protect potential victims and witnesses, while
also enhancing officer safety. Encryption has been a national best practice
for police communications since 2016 and other departments in the state,
the National Capital Region and throughout the country have adopted this
approach. Like other law enforcement agencies in the state of Maryland and
across the country, MCPD’s move to full encryption will allow us to better
protect victims and witnesses of criminal activity by ensuring the
confidentiality of private information. This includes protecting the
personal information of some of our residents with health challenges.
Encryption helps law enforcement agencies manage the many risks associated
with sensitive information in our response to a wide variety of emergency
calls for service.



Currently, personally identifiable information pertaining to citizens
through over-the-air criminal inquiries, traffic-stop related inquiries,
and dispatch call and location history is being broadcast in the clear.
Moving to encrypt our emergency communication will allow the department to
take one step towards recommendations (or compliance) from the Federal
Partnership for Interoperable Communications (FPIC).



Encrypted radio traffic will not only help protect potential victims and
witnesses, but it will also help ensure operational, tactical, and
investigative integrity for our officers. MCPD moving to encrypted radio
traffic will protect its radio transmissions and remove the ability for
criminals to intercept transmissions, allowing them to get detailed
information on police tactics and investigative activity. There are
numerous free scanner Apps available where anyone can listen to MCPD radio
traffic in real time on a smartphone. The department has confirmed
instances of criminal elements actively listening to department unencrypted
radio channels. The department also believes that encryption will deter
criminal acts such as placing SWAT’ing calls at homes of elected officials,
appointed officials, business executives, and other high-profile residents
in Montgomery County.  These calls jeopardize the safety of responding
officers and innocent/unaware residents.



The changeover has been planned and the process started. This change will
be phased in over the next 60 to 90 days. It is not an all at once switch,
the change goes radio by radio.  What anyone with a scanner will possibly
hear while the process goes on is an incomplete conversation as those who
are encrypted talk to those that are not. Gradually our radio traffic on
scanners will diminish until transmissions are heard no more. We will have
complete recordings of all radio traffic for all MPIA or evidence needs.



MCPD will not be alone in the region as other police departments have
encrypted their dispatch communications or have plans to encrypt them in
the immediate future. MCPD dispatch channels will continue to be recorded
and available through MPIA Requests. MCPD PIO will continue to provide
timely, accurate, and transparent information on incidents throughout the
county to the media and through our social media platforms. As always, MCPD
will continue to build trust, balancing transparency with the safety of
victims, witnesses and our officers.



Maryland and Regional Law Enforcement Agencies Who Are Encrypted Or Will Be
In The Near Future

·         Anne Arundel County Police Department

·         Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office

·         Annapolis Police

·         Allegany County

·         Washington County

·         Baltimore City

·         Saint Mary’s County

·         Cecil County

·         Kent County

·         Queen Anne’s County

·         Caroline County

·         Talbot County

·         Dorchester County

·         Somerset County

·         Worcester County

·         Ocean City Police

·         Cambridge Police

·         Easton Police

·         Elkton Police

·         Hancock Police

·         Princess Anne Police

·         Smithsburg Police

·         University of Maryland Eastern Shore

·         Maryland Natural Resources Police

·         Comptroller of Maryland

·         Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia

·         United States Capitol Police

·         United States Park Police

·         All Federal Law Enforcement Partners

·         Delaware State Police







Elsa Rand

Office Services Coordinator

Media & Public Information

Montgomery County Department of Police

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Website: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/pol

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mcpnews

Twitter: @mcpnews

Instagram: mcpnews

MPIA requests - Click the link here