Orleans Parish Communication District Announces Date for
Encryption of Law Enforcement Radio Frequencies
NEW ORLEANS – The Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD) today announced that it will begin to encrypt all broadcasts of law enforcement radio frequencies starting at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019.
“OPCD treats the safety of the emergency responders and citizens of Orleans Parish as our highest priority,” said OPCD Executive Director Tyrell Morris. “Encrypting law enforcement frequencies is just one more step in that direction.
“Just to be clear, the use of this technology will in no way impede our compliance with the Louisiana Public Records Act, as OPCD and the City of New Orleans are firmly committed to transparency in government,” Morris continued. “Instead, we are implementing the strategies necessary to limit the dangers that emergency responders face out in the field by ensuring criminals can no longer track the movements of our first responders by simply picking up a radio and listening in on transmissions.”
Implementing a plan set forth in October 2018, OPCD will be following a national trend to enhance communication device security and aligning with industry best practices by encrypting law enforcement frequencies.
“Moving to encryption is a crucial step that will help ensure the safety of our first responders,” said New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director Collin Arnold. “I thank our public safety partners at schools and universities, the Flood Protection Authority, and the Port of New Orleans, with whom we’ve worked this past year to prepare for encryption.”
Once the encryption is activated, only devices which contain the required security permissions and programming will be able to receive and transmit messages across Louisiana Wireless Information Network (LWIN).
OPCD and all public safety agencies within Orleans Parish operate on the LWIN, which is regulated by the Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) within the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP).
Similar to neighboring parishes, including Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines, OPCD and partner agencies are taking this step to enhance officer safety by keeping sensitive information out of the hands of criminals.
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