by Adolfo Flores
Pasadena Sun
The Pasadena Police Department will allow the public to listen to some emergency calls for service over the department’s radio system, reversing a decision made earlier this year to block public access to the police frequency.
Earlier this year Pasadena police upgraded their radio communications system from analog to digital in order to meet federal standards that wikll take effect in 2013. As part of the $7 million project, police decided to encrypt its main frequency.
Police said blocking access to outsiders would aid police because criminals use information relayed on the scanners to their advantage. Media outlets and radio hobbyists decried the move, saying it would limit the public’s right to know important information.
Police then revised the policy to allow the public access to initial calls, while still barring access to later communications regarding tactics and updates on the emergency.
