Hcso Deputy
03-12-2008, 08:35 PM
ORLANDO, Fla. --
In about two weeks, Orlando police will operate in a form of radio silence. The public won't be able to hear the Orlando Police Department respond to crimes using police radio scanners. The department is scrambling their signal and they say it's to keep criminals from listening in.
Critics say they use police scanners to be a watchdog and not being able to listen will allow cops to become the "secret police" with less accountability. Law enforcement says its about safety.
Joe Mattern has been listening to police scanners for 30 years. He says they kept him safe when a wanted criminal on the run was taken down by deputies in his backyard. Mattern heard the crook was coming his way and immediately locked the doors.
"If I didn't have the scanner, I couldn't equip myself and better understand harm was coming toward me," he said.
Police scanners are about to go silent. Starting April 1, Orlando police will encrypt its new digital radios. The Orange County Sheriff's Office will do the same thing by 2012.
The media listens to scanners so it can dispatch crews and get important information to viewers. Mattern and groups like Copwatch also use them to monitor police behavior .
"There will no longer be the ability to police the police," Mattern said. "I think they are trying to minimize exposure to media regarding potential mistakes they make."
Orange County Public Safety Director Mike McCoy said the goal is to protect officers and keep crooks from listening.
"You don't want the public to know where your cops are all the time. That's the genesis behind it," he said.
Eyewitness News asked Orlando police why not only encrypt certain channels.
"So no one knows what our tactics are as we are coming up to the burglary or the robbery, because, like I said, the bad guys are listening too and they are using it to their advantage," said Deputy Chief Karin Weaver, Orlando Police Department.
Eyewitness News checked and encrypting radios is not a violation of Sunshine Laws. Radio messages are not considered public record. After sitting down with both Orlando police and Orange County, they agreed to come up with a compromise so the media can listen.
In about two weeks, Orlando police will operate in a form of radio silence. The public won't be able to hear the Orlando Police Department respond to crimes using police radio scanners. The department is scrambling their signal and they say it's to keep criminals from listening in.
Critics say they use police scanners to be a watchdog and not being able to listen will allow cops to become the "secret police" with less accountability. Law enforcement says its about safety.
Joe Mattern has been listening to police scanners for 30 years. He says they kept him safe when a wanted criminal on the run was taken down by deputies in his backyard. Mattern heard the crook was coming his way and immediately locked the doors.
"If I didn't have the scanner, I couldn't equip myself and better understand harm was coming toward me," he said.
Police scanners are about to go silent. Starting April 1, Orlando police will encrypt its new digital radios. The Orange County Sheriff's Office will do the same thing by 2012.
The media listens to scanners so it can dispatch crews and get important information to viewers. Mattern and groups like Copwatch also use them to monitor police behavior .
"There will no longer be the ability to police the police," Mattern said. "I think they are trying to minimize exposure to media regarding potential mistakes they make."
Orange County Public Safety Director Mike McCoy said the goal is to protect officers and keep crooks from listening.
"You don't want the public to know where your cops are all the time. That's the genesis behind it," he said.
Eyewitness News asked Orlando police why not only encrypt certain channels.
"So no one knows what our tactics are as we are coming up to the burglary or the robbery, because, like I said, the bad guys are listening too and they are using it to their advantage," said Deputy Chief Karin Weaver, Orlando Police Department.
Eyewitness News checked and encrypting radios is not a violation of Sunshine Laws. Radio messages are not considered public record. After sitting down with both Orlando police and Orange County, they agreed to come up with a compromise so the media can listen.