From time to time we here at OCSN like to write an article explaining our operations to our fans; or try to explain better. We ask you all take a moment to read through this article if you value police transparency and the continuation of Ocean County Scanner News as news service. It also explains why we have no or limited information when many of you send in tips/questions about events occurring in certain towns. Many of you have heard us use the term “Encryption” or “Excessive Radio Encryption” when we publish some stories; we even have a hashtag for it. Most recently we ran a story about Lacey Police choosing to utilize FULL encryption on their new radio system; meaning nobody with a scanner can listen to them anymore. Unless you work in the media, listen to scanners/ham radio, or are a part of a government agencies’ communications division- you have no idea what we are talking about with encryption. OCSN gets the S in our name from Scanner- meaning we hear a majority of our news stories over the public airwaves on special radios called scanners. Just like your AM/FM radios can tune in 92.7, 94.3, or 101.5 MHz, these scanner radios tune in channels like 155.655, 460.350 MHz etc. to hear police, fire, EMS, and everyone else who uses a two-way radio (walkie-talkie). Scanners, or police scanners have been around for over 50 years now; and they serve a useful purpose. Anyone who purchases a scanner can program it to listen to any agency or organization that holds an FCC license; however scanners only listen- you cannot cause trouble by talking back. Encryption means making it so an agency’s communications CANNOT be picked up by any scanner or radio outside that specific organization- it is scrambled. Think of encryption akin to scrambling premium channels on cable TV in the 1980s-90s when many of you would try to make out body parts through the wavy green lines on the Playboy channel after dark.
With the world of the internet and streaming, everyone realizes that aside from news agencies, losers living in mom’s basements, and ham radio members- sadly criminals or “bad guys” can also listen to the police, and possibly avoid capture. To combat this rare occurrence, there are existing laws on the books that stiffen or add charges to a suspect when captured using a scanner in commission of a crime. To make this even easier, modern radio systems that taxpayers paid for- have multiple channels to increase efficiency. Police and other agencies can opt to leave dispatch channels open, or non-encrypted so people with scanners can listen. To maintain officer safety when necessary, these same agencies can switch to another channel that has encryption, for when sensitive communications are a priority and NOBODY needs to listen. There are many times the public, news, criminals, or anyone else has any business knowing some conversations- usually surveillance, and other high-security investigations. Most agencies feel a good balance between public transparency and officer safety is to keep routine dispatch channels open for monitoring- and encrypt or scramble/block sensitive channels (usually channel 2 and onward).
OCSN has always been a Pro-Police news outlet; we give support to all agencies & departments who earn it. We recognize many media outlets are not as supportive; but we appreciate the hard work all first responders put in day in/day out. As we enter our 9th year of continuous news service- we have made quite a niche following of news addicts who appreciate the breaking-news style only listening to scanners can offer. In the wake of recent high-profile police shootings and riots around the country, there has been an added push to demand transparency from our government agencies- ESPECIALLY police departments. This page will never get behind defending the police outright, but most definitely reform the police & add increased accountability and transparency to their operations. In NJ alone we can see the push for increased transparency with the recent Open Public Records Act (OPRA) laws. If we as a news organization cannot listen to anything on scanners anymore, we all simply lose the entire segment of breaking news that OCSN is not alone in.
Many agencies here in Ocean County & around the state of NJ have made decisions to turn off encryption on their dispatch channels, and only encrypt channels 2 & so on, or when necessary. We want to give a huge thank you/ shout out to Sheriff Mastronardy for working with Beachwood, Pine Beach, South Toms River, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, Lakehurst, & Plumsted police departments for leaving the public/media access to police dispatch channels on the new County 700 MHz system. Your commitments to transparency are leaps and bounds above many other departments. Also thank you to Bay Head, Mantoloking, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Barnegat, Beach Haven, Surf City Ocean Township (Waretown), and a few remaining Monmouth County police who leave dispatch channels in the clear/ unencrypted. It also goes worth mentioning the NJ State Police maintain a healthy level of transparency/encryption on both their radio systems. Another honorable mention goes to Howell PD who should be a model department for transparency in the area, even when migrating to the encryption-capable NJ State 700 MHz radio system. The same technology that offers police secure encryption to maintain their safety offers the option to turn it off on dispatch channels, or any other selected channels. Remember- taxpayers paid for these radio systems, and we deserve to know what is happening in our own towns. Even large cities like Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and other metropolitan areas leave dispatch channels unencrypted- or offer media access radios.
Now onto the so-called bad list- departments that fully encrypt all their communications, and maintain little transparency with the public. This means that nobody can hear these departments with a scanner, which is why we always have NO information when users send us tips from these towns. Lacey PD tops the list with a Christmas switchover from a system that had dispatch channel in the clear, with their channel 2 being fully encrypted- a fair compromise, over to FULL encryption on ALL police channels on the new taxpayer-funded Ocean County 700 MHz system. Lakewood, Toms River, Manchester, Berkeley, Point Pleasant Beach, & Stafford Police at one time left their dispatch channels clear, and used encryption on secondary channels. They all have since shunned transparency and have turned on full encryption on all their channels to block out scanners with little explanation for their decisions. Brick, Jackson, Long Beach Island, Lavallette, Point Borough, Little Egg Harbor, Ship Bottom & Monmouth County System under Tyrant Sheriff Shaun Golden have encrypted, or blocked out scanners from the very beginning of their new taxpayer funded radio systems- and maintain secrecy.
Ocean County Scanner News is one of many news agencies in the state, and area who use scanners to source breaking news stories. Often OCSN is first to make a story before the agencies can even publish a NIXLE, social media post, or Press Release- to make the public aware. It is truly embarrassing how much in the dark some towns keep their residents, and spoon-feed them incremental press releases- only when it is uncovered externally. Also, there is a way to compromise and moderate between both sides as OCSN would love ALL channels left unencrypted, the other side are traditional bootlickers believing the public needs to know NONE of the happenings among PD/FD/EMS. Leaving dispatch channels open, and encrypting sensitive/SWAT/surveillance channels for officer safety is truly a compromise as both sides give and take a little.
Lastly we want to speak to another side of this argument that calls for all communications to be blocked to avoid news media from impeding on a crime scene. The obvious answer is anyone who crosses yellow police tape or tampers with a crime scene deserves to be arrested, charged, or cited for breaking the law. OCSN journalists always operate at a safe distance, and take photographs without getting in the way. The only example of a local “journalist” getting arrested for crossing police tape was an Asbury Park Press staff member *we think a few years back- correct us if we are wrong? If anyone who is ACTUALLY associated with OCSN impedes a police investigation, they will not be associated with our organization for long- or were falsely representing themselves. As for photographs- you have ZERO expectations of privacy in a public setting. ANYONE with a camera can take photographs of ANY police officer, or anyone/anything/anywhere in a public setting. Car crashes, crime scenes, exteriors of houses, businesses, police vehicles- essentially anything in a public setting is warranted zero expectations to privacy. Privacy is only guaranteed in your private property these days- as we all learn. Somehow some fantasy of news reporters with scanners taking pictures of crime scenes disregarding police command is worth blanket encryption and zero transparency among our governmental agencies to many haters?
Increasing radio encryption is a direct threat to our news business model- so we will not tolerate those insulting our operations by encouraging departments to fully encrypt within any comments. The very taxpayers and public who funded these advanced communication systems deserve to hear basic dispatch channels. The same departments who remind the public if we have nothing to hide, we should not be concerned regarding increasing surveillance like cameras, facial recognition software, cell phone pings (locators) & license plate readers all over our towns. Admittedly public surveillance has been accepted as we should not expect any privacy in a public setting- in regards to photos and video. Transparency goes both ways- departments with nothing to hide should have no problem with the media & public with scanners listening to their dispatch channels.
Reference link below for the state of Colorado legislators trying to make a state law prohibiting encryption on dispatch channels by government agencies.
https://coloradofoic.org/colorado-house-adds-radio-encryption-provision-to-law-enforcement-reform-bill/
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.
If people were not showing up on scene or using it to ambush this would not be happening. You can still OPRA the radio com traffic but after the fact.