Advertisement 1

Radio silence: Edmonton police move to encrypted communications system, removing public, media access

According to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, only one complaint concerning privacy and police radio communications had ever been made

Article content

Edmonton city police have moved to an encrypted radio system, which prevents the public and the media from listening to police activity, a step critics fear may lead to more secrecy and unaccountability.

Last Monday, city police officially switched over to the Alberta First Responder Radio Communications System (AFRRCS) after steadily migrating over to the new radio system since November 2017.

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content

Edmonton Police Service (EPS) spokeswoman Patrycja Mokrzan said in an emailed statement that early last year, the service’s chief’s committee, in consultation with legal advisers, made the decision to no longer permit radio transmission access for the public or media, who have been tuning in to police scanners for decades.

Article content

“EPS radio transmissions often reveal personal information, which is a violation of Alberta privacy laws under the FOIP (Freedom of Information and Privacy) Act,” Mokrzan said. “Radio transmissions reveal addresses, names, birth dates and medical information, which are all protected under the FOIP Act.”

While Mokrzan said the Alberta Privacy Commissioner advised the service it would only be involved if a complaint was made, she said Edmonton police have “a lawful duty to proactively protect every public citizen’s right to privacy.”

According to Scott Sibbald, spokesman for the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, only one complaint concerning privacy and police radio communications had ever been made.

Article content
Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

“An individual alleged that a municipality collected and used personal information that was obtained through a police scanner,” Sibbald said.

“The FOIP Act requires information to be in a recorded format, so only when the information is audio recorded or otherwise written in some format does the FOIP Act apply. This matter was resolved several years ago in our mediation process and, as a result, did not result in a published order.”

He added that any complaints the privacy commissioner would look into would be limited to someone concerned a police service disclosed their personal information improperly or that another regulated entity, such as a public, health or private sector organization, collected or used their personal information improperly.

Other factors were also considered in the police’s decision to move to the encrypted system, including concerns over relaying information that could jeopardize officer and public safety, as well as investigations and court processes.

“The EPS has identified numerous instances where suspects were monitoring police communications during criminal flights from police or during traffic stops that put officers at risk,” Mokrzan said.

Advertisement 4
Story continues below
Article content

She added the former radio system needed to be replaced, becoming no longer cost-effective and an officer safety issue when it was no longer completely reliable.

“Maintaining two different radio systems was not an option, as it would be even more costly and not a responsible use of resources,” she said.

More secrecy

But Sean Holman, a journalism professor and freedom of information researcher at Calgary’s Mount Royal University, says the switch is concerning and limits the media’s ability to do its job.

“I think their decision to technologically hide their communications is in keeping with a fundamental misunderstanding of what they think the news media’s job is,” Holman said.

“Our job isn’t simply to re-report their press releases and announcements. Our job is to hold them accountable for the work that they do. And sometimes that may mean negatively reporting on the work that they do.

“So, by taking away our ability to hear police communications, this kind of police communications, they are truncating the news media’s watchdog ability.”

He added it’s not simply about news media being able to get ahead on breaking stories.

Advertisement 5
Story continues below
Article content

“This is ensuring that we have access to communications that allow us to report on things that the police would not otherwise announce to the press and the public, that’s what this is about.”

Brent Jolly, national president of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), said prohibiting media access to police communications requires competing public priorities.

“For example, on one hand, it removes the journalist’s critical role of ensuring that law enforcement are monitored and held accountable for their actions. On the other, open access could pose a risk because it doesn’t prevent criminals from tracking police activity,” Jolly said.

“A possible middle ground would be for police forces to create secured channels that can be shared directly with newsrooms. This could be a solution that ensures effective oversight while preserving public safety.”

‘Won’t be doing a constant stream of highlights’

Some police services who have already moved to encrypted communications have provided workarounds to continue to update the media and public.

The Toronto Police Service moved to an encrypted radio system in 2015, also citing privacy concerns when the switch was made.

Advertisement 6
Story continues below
Article content

However, the service has turned to providing updates on calls on its social media. The Toronto Police Operations Twitter account will post call types — a stabbing or a shooting, for example — and details such as location, what happened and a suspect description.

In 2019, Saskatoon police moved to an encrypted radio, discontinuing media access. However, later in the year, the police service launched a secure online portal media can access that provides information automatically generated from dispatch call entries.

The Calgary Police Service, meanwhile, currently uses the Calgary Mobile Radio Network (CMRN) but also has access to AFRRCS.

“At this time, we do not have plans to switch to AFRRCS. AFRRCS is our back-up in the event CMRN is not available,” said spokeswoman Nafeesa Garner.

“Presently, CPS has granted the Calgary media outlets, as well as some partner agencies, the ability to tune into district dispatch radio channels. This is not available to the general public.”

Mokrzan said EPS may explore other options for sharing information in the future. In the meantime, the service posts about incidents to social media “regularly” but “won’t be doing a constant stream of highlights.”

Currently, the service posts news releases, traffic incidents and some overnight events.

ajunker@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/JunkerAnna

Have you noticed a police presence, crime scene or other development unfolding in the city that we should know about? Email edmcrimetips@postmedia.com

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Latest National Stories
    This Week in Flyers