Ford bill would give Illinois media access to encrypted police scanner transmissions

On Tuesday, Feb. 13, the Illinois state Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago) introduced legislation which would require any law enforcement agency within the state of Illinois, to lawfully encrypt police scanner transmissions to provide real time access to those transmissions to accredited media in the state.

House Bill 4339 amends the Public Records Act to require that any law enforcement agency that encrypts radio transmissions provide, by license or otherwise, access to those transmissions to FCC licensed broadcasters and accredited newspapers.

During the former administration in Chicago, the C...