Senate bill to limit police encryption scores another victory – The Almanac Online

Senate Bill 1000, which would require law enforcement agencies throughout California to find alternatives to encrypting their radio communications, received a 5-2 vote from the Senate Appropriation Committee on May 19, 2022. Embarcadero Media file photo.

State Sen. Josh Becker's proposal to require police departments to find alternatives to radio encryption took another major step forward Thursday when the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to advance the bill.

The committee's 5-2 vote means that Senate Bill 1000 will now advance for a full vote by the state Senate. The bill would still need to clear the state Assembly and get the governors signature before it becomes law.

State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, speaks to media about school reopenings at Barron Park Elementary in Palo Alto on March 2, 2021. Photo by Magali Gauthier.

Becker's bill addresses a recent trend by police departments throughout California, including in Palo Alto, to encrypt their radio communications, a practice that removed the historic ability of journalists and members of the general public to monitor police activities through a police scanner.

SB 1000 would require agencies to come up with policies that would open up communications while ensuring that personal identifiable information such as Social Security numbers and criminal records remains protected. Some agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, already have such policies in place.

Though Palo Alto moved to encrypt police radio communication in January 2021, the City Council has since come out in support of the Becker bill. The legislation has also been endorsed by the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the California Broadcasters Association.

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Senate bill to limit police encryption scores another victory - The Almanac Online