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“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.
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.
“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.”
