San Diego Police Radio Encryption Sparks Concerns Over Transparency

San Diego, California — Police radio traffic led freelance photojournalist Juan Ruiz to an Encanto home last year, capturing footage of an unarmed man bitten by a police dog and shot with bean-bag rounds. The video raised public concern about police force, resulting in a complaint and an investigation.

On June 2, the San Diego Police Department switched to encrypted radio communications, shutting out the public from real-time updates. This move marks the final shift in the county, as all local law enforcement agencies have gone silent. California departments adopted encryption to comply with a directive from the state’s Department of Justice, which aims to protect personal identifying information.

Advocates for transparency are alarmed by the lack of access to police communications. Ginny LaRoe, an advocacy director at the First Amendment Coalition, emphasized the need for journalists to hear real-time police activity to ask relevant questions. “Otherwise, journalists are forced to just believe the PR version of events,” LaRoe said.

Darwin Fishman, a professor at San Diego State University, expressed concern that community members and journalists could miss critical incidents without scanner updates. “It feels like we’re always pushing for them to be more transparent,” he noted.

The encryption was part of a $51 million, 10-year contract with Motorola aimed at upgrading the city’s communication systems. Assistant Police Chief Shawn Takeuchi explained that the department had to choose between public and private channels for safety and efficiency. “Operationally it hampers us and makes us less efficient,” he added.

Union President Jared Wilson supported the move, arguing that scanners were being misused by criminal elements to evade police. Takeuchi echoed this, stating that sensitive operations should be conducted over secure channels.

Despite these justifications, freelance photojournalists like Ruiz struggle to cover police activities without their usual resources. Inspired by the old practice of monitoring scanner traffic, Ruiz and others now rely on fire department communications and online dispatch logs to gain insight into police actions. He lamented, “There could have been so many events going on in the city, and I was not aware of it.”

Bill Paul, another photojournalist, expressed frustration that the public may miss critical information without access to scanner updates. He believes that the tone and urgency conveyed in live audio are crucial for comprehensive news coverage.

The First Amendment Coalition continues to push for access to body-worn camera footage and other public records. Tasha Williamson, a local advocate, trained community members to monitor police, stating that it raises awareness of actions in the field.

Legislation to block encryption efforts has failed repeatedly, with no current bills addressing access to encrypted channels. A spokesperson for Mayor Todd Gloria mentioned, “There’s no feasible way” for journalists to access police scanners now. However, the San Diego Police Department is working to enhance its information-sharing systems for the media.