Visalia Police gets $1.8M encrypted radio upgrade

VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Visalia Police Department has spent $1,844,614 of authorities wealth to encrypt its vigor communications, officials announced connected Thursday.

According to the department, "all transmissions betwixt officers volition beryllium secure, preventing unauthorized listeners from intercepting delicate information."

The Visalia Police Department says the contiguous wide vigor operations allowed anyone to perceive vigor operations with easy accessible equipment. Officials say, with the existent system, "police vigor communications are accessible to anyone equipped with a constabulary scanner oregon the close smartphone app."

This entree volition extremity with the implementation of encrypted radios.

Police accidental the determination follows a directive from the California Department of Justice (DOJ) successful 2020, which mandates that delicate personally identifiable accusation (PII) transmitted implicit constabulary radios indispensable beryllium encrypted to guarantee individuals' privateness is protected.

The determination to instrumentality encrypted communications is portion of the department’s ongoing committedness to nationalist information and staying successful measurement with evolving technology.

The outgo of encryption was included successful an upgrade for each nationalist work vigor communications successful the City of Visalia, officials say. This upgrade encompassed some portable and in-car radios utilized by the Fire Department, Police Department, Code Enforcement, and Animal Control. 

The full task was afloat funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), according to Visalia Police, meaning determination was nary interaction connected the General Fund of the City of Visalia.

The Visalia Police Department adds that calls for work tin alternatively beryllium viewable online astatine www.visalia.gov/CallsForService.