RPD and OCSO respond to changing radio communication
(ABC 6 News)- On Tuesday, the Rochester Police Department and Olmsted County Sherriff’s Office announced they are transitioning to encrypted radio communications starting on January 27th, which will restrict who can listen to law enforcement using scanners and apps.
RPD and OCSO say the decision to go radio silent stems from a need to protect public safety, which they claim has been compromised in the past.
The Police department says most of their communications on the radio include medical information and confidential details about victims and cases. Right now with encryption anyone can tune into law enforcement radio communications, including suspects who may be involved in the cases they are talking about.
That has led to incidents in the last few months where public information was leaked…compromising RFD’s response. They did not give specific details about those incidents, but they said it was time for a change.
“We have had incidents where a witness or complainant was talking to the police. Information that somebody gathered on a scanner was then, like mid-interview with this person, was communicated to them and they stopped talking to police because of it,” said Paul Gronholz, Services captain of the Rochester Police Department.
According to RPD, the change aligns with state and federal recommendations, and many law enforcement throughout the state already use encryption.
The police department wanted to make it clear that the decision was not intended to be a slight against media outlets or the public, and plans to remain transparent and provide information to those who need it.
You can find more information on resources for the public on the RPD website and the OCSO website.