Starting Wednesday, August 27, all Kingfisher County law enforcement agencies will begin encrypting their main radio frequency due to officer safety concerns. Kingfisher Fire Department will follow on Friday, August 29.
Sheriff Aaron Pitts told All About Kingfisher the change was prompted by individuals using scanners to post officers’ real-time locations and call details on social media. One in particular is the Kingfisher OK Scanner Traffic Facebook page. Officials said this practice has jeopardized operations, such as suspect searches, by giving criminals “firsthand knowledge” of police movements. It has also increased risks at call scenes, making it harder for officers to safely do their jobs.
Encryption scrambles radio transmissions so only authorized radios can receive them. While the public once could listen with scanners, the new system prevents that access. All police departments in the county, including Kingfisher and Hennessey, are included in the initiative.
Kingfisher Fire Chief Ryan Gibson explained the move is also about protecting sensitive information. “We transmit patient data and sometimes the location of keys to access homes in emergencies,” he said. “We’re not trying to hide from the public.”
Ryan Deathridge, Director of 911 and Emergency Management, added that the 911 consoles and radios are being reprogrammed so all agencies can continue to communicate with each other. “This is a technical change,” he said. “It does not affect the way 911 or dispatchers operate.”
