Lyon County to implement encrypted radio communications next month | Free

Lyon County law enforcement agencies, including Lyon County Emergency Communications, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and the Emporia Police Department, announced Tuesday that they will begin encrypting all law enforcement radio communications in order to comply with federal regulations next month.

This means that local scanner traffic will, for the most part, be silent.

The regulations, which go into effect on July 8, are set by the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division and are aimed at safeguarding sensitive information.

“The FBI has a criminal justice information system center that governs all the information we put out into the universe,” LCECC Director Roxanne Van Gundy said. “This includes radio and email traffic, which must be encrypted according to CJIS standards.”

Information that must be encrypted under the revised policy includes criminal history records, social security numbers, and addresses. The measure has been implemented as a way to address the increasing incidents of personal information breaches and identity thefts affecting Kansas communities.

Van Gundy said all county law enforcement agencies are required to meet these encryption standards before their next biennial audit in 2025. Failure to comply could negatively impact the county’s audit status and potentially reduce the services provided to the community.

“The Kansas Highway Patrol is who enforces those standards upon local agencies, and they have told us that we have until our auditing cycle … to come into compliance,” Van Gundy said.

This change raises concerns about the accessibility of real-time information for the public and the media. That is partly why county postponed this transition as long as possible, she said, to maintain transparency.

“We’re ruled by another entity, so we have to comply with their standards,” Van Gundy stressed.

In response, both Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope and Emporia Police Chief Ed Owen acknowledged the need to develop alternative methods for disseminating critical information during major public safety events.

“We seem to have taken 20 steps backward when it comes to being transparent,” Owen said. “But, like Roxy said, we are governed by the federal government and we are told that we are going to be encrypted now. … We are open to suggestions so we can get information out, and we don’t have people assuming they know what is going on before they hear it from us first.”

Emporia Fire Department radio communications will not be impacted by this change. The move primarily affects law enforcement and those with a need for CJIS information, such as animal control and probation enforcement.

During a meeting about the changes, Gazette reporters expressed concerns about the impact on their ability to report on significant incidents promptly. Officials assured that they would continue to provide press releases and work closely with media outlets to ensure timely information sharing.

“For public safety issues, the media is our partner,” Cope said. “We will reach out and share necessary information to keep the community informed.”

Residents are encouraged to stay informed through official channels, The Emporia Gazette and KVOE Radio — and to avoid overloading emergency lines with non-emergency inquiries.