Police radio communications can’t be made vulnerable to criminal behavior

Chicago police work the scene where a man was shot while driving in a silver Toyota on North La Salle Street in River North on Sept. 3. (Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times)

As leaders of our city’s public safety agencies, we are focused on making Chicago the safest big city in the country while protecting the welfare of our first responders. This focus is at the center of any decisions we make, including the decision to encrypt our radio communications. 

For decades, unauthorized users have meddled with the operational security of our officers and first responders by having real-time access to the sensitive data shared over police radio channels. Numerous instances of individuals transmitting fake calls for service or disruptive messages have been observed by law enforcement and media alike.