"For decades, the Berkeley Police Department's radio communications were open for anyone to listen to. All that was required was a piece of off-the-shelf radio equipment, a scanner. And for years, the popular website Broadcastify.com livestreamed BPD's radio transmissions (and hundreds of other public safety agency feeds), and offered an archive of recordings. Berkeley's police are the last in Alameda County who still communicate on unencrypted channels."
"Tuning in, the public could listen in real time as officers and dispatchers handled welfare checks, shootings, car crashes, missing persons, downed power lines, robberies any incident called into 911. Listening to police scanners has been a staple of newsroom activity since police radios were invented. Reporters tune in to get a sense of how their city's police department is operating or to cover emergencies like fires, earthquakes, or mass shootings and major events like protests and parades."
For decades Berkeley Police Department radio communications were accessible to anyone with an off-the-shelf scanner. Broadcastify.com livestreamed BPD transmissions and archived recordings. Berkeley remained the only Alameda County agency using unencrypted channels until recently. The public could listen in real time to welfare checks, shootings, car crashes, missing persons, downed power lines, robberies, and other 911 incidents. Reporters have relied on scanners for coverage of emergencies and major events. Other Alameda County agencies have encrypted their communications in recent weeks. Police Chief Jen Louis reversed a previous stance and requested City Council approval to encrypt and silence radio traffic, with the proposal listed on Tuesday's consent agenda.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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