Oakland to silence police radios from public beginning Wednesday
10 days ago
- #public safety
- #Oakland
- #police transparency
- Oakland Police Department will encrypt radio communications starting at 4 a.m. Wednesday, ending public access to real-time emergency calls.
- State Sen. Josh Becker and police accountability advocates criticize the move, calling it harmful to transparency and accountability.
- Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee promises to look into the decision, emphasizing the importance of transparency.
- Other Bay Area cities have encrypted radio traffic, citing a 2020 California DOJ directive, though encryption is not required.
- Oakland Police is the only agency making this change under federal oversight, raising concerns about secrecy amid ongoing reform efforts.
- Civil rights attorney John Burris warns that encryption could lead to more police misconduct by reducing public oversight.
- OPD defends encryption as necessary for officer and community safety, referencing a 2020 memo by then-Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
- Some agencies, like Palo Alto Police, reversed encryption after finding alternative ways to share sensitive information.
- Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson pledges to release recordings upon request but acknowledges past struggles with public records transparency.
- Advocates like Ginny LaRoe argue open radio traffic is vital for journalists and public awareness during crises.