San Bernardino County, CA – Effective today, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department radios will switch from analog to an encrypted digital communication system. The improved communication platform is vital to the safety of first responders. It will enhance coverage throughout the county, improve the voice clarity and strengthen the signal to police frequencies.
The county invested $160 million in the system over the past few years. Several law enforcement agencies in the county and across the state have already replaced their analog communication systems. The system also allows interoperability and is a single communication platform that will play a critical role in the event of a disaster, and mutual aid requests in and outside of SBD County’s jurisdiction. Cops from different agencies in the county can talk to one another seamlessly.
The Sheriff’s Dept. recognizes the concern from residents and the media regarding the system shutting out the public, some who are hobbyists. But the improved system will also shut out individuals who are engaging in criminal behavior that would like to know if law enforcement is coming for them. The public has a right to know what is happening around them and the department will continue to notify the public by way of the media, and their various social media platforms. Their mission to serve the public is the number one priority, and the new system will help in keeping personal and critical operational information from being broadcast to the world.
