Will Berkeley silence its police scanners? Council to decide Tuesday

"Earlier this month, law enforcement agencies across Contra Costa and Alameda counties began a switch to remove all publicly accessible police channels. Department heads say the move is meant to comply with a 2020 bulletin from former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra that asked agencies to protect sensitive information like driver's license numbers, Social Security numbers and other data that could be used to identify citizens."

"Two methods can be used to meet that mandate: full encryption or switching to private channels to transmit sensitive information while keeping other information on public channels. While all other local East Bay agencies opted for the extreme option, the Berkeley Police Department has remained the lone holdout due to a 2021 city policy banning encryption in most cases. But that could change Tuesday, when the Berkeley City Council will decide whether to reverse the policy."

"The police department says the change is necessary to protect officers from potentially being ambushed and to prevent suspected criminals from evading arrest. Critics of the request argue the public would lose an important tool for monitoring crime in the city and holding officers accountable."

Law enforcement agencies across Contra Costa and Alameda counties began removing publicly accessible police channels to comply with a 2020 California Attorney General bulletin protecting sensitive identifying information. Agencies can meet the mandate by fully encrypting communications or by using private channels for sensitive data while keeping other information public. Most East Bay agencies chose full encryption; Berkeley remained the sole holdout because of a 2021 city policy banning encryption in most cases. The Berkeley City Council will vote on reversing the ban. The police department says encryption protects officers and prevents suspects evading arrest. Critics say encryption would remove a crucial public tool for monitoring crime and holding officers accountable. The department is evaluating privacy, cost, and operational efficacy and may adopt countywide encryption standards.

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