Deschutes law enforcement agencies to scramble radio signals

Police scanners have been used for years, as people listen in to calls around their community.

That could soon be changing, as law enforcement agencies in Deschutes County, for the safety of their officers, are going to scramble their signals so that scanners can’t pick them up.

Redmond police Lt. Curtis Chambers said Monday the safety concerns are the department’s top priority.

“It allows officers to not be ambushed by persons waiting for law enforcement to arrive at a scene,” Chambers said. “We do not want suspects to know that we are coming and put us in danger as we respond to citizen-driven calls for service.”

This new radio system is a total overhaul of the old one and is run by one central radio system that is overseen by Deschutes County 911 District.

Public safety radio calls will all be digital now, and will be streamed on a singular website on a 30-minute delay.

Those who listen to the scanners, as Don Shurtleff does, believe that safety for all involved — officers and the public — should be the top priority.

Shurtleff is public information officer for Deschutes County Amateur Radio Emergency Service and the High Desert Amateur Radio Group.

“Officer safety goes hand-in-hand with public safety,” Shurtleff said. “Sometimes it’s not just officer safety, its public safety, if certain information gets out.”

Shurleff has mixed emotions about the new radio system and understands the reasoning behind it, but is disappointed in the changes that are being made.

Police agencies say they still want to be as transparent as they can, all while keeping officers safe.

Agencies will begin to use the new system this week, and the system is scheduled to be fully functional by the end of August.