(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, along with other law enforcement agencies in the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro area, including those in Douglas and Sarpy Counties, moved to full digital radio encryption. The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office, Monday, said law enforcement radio channels were moved to full encryption on February 27, 2023 at/about 2:00pm. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, including their dispatch center and the agencies they serve, made the switch for several reasons. Officials say “We’re doing so in conjunction with other area agencies to increase safety for our deputies, officers, and citizens involved in incidents to which we respond.”

Encrypted communications prevent criminal elements from knowing when and where first-responders are dispatched. They also help to ensure that the personal information of persons contacted by deputies and officers is protected from public disclosure. Authorities say “We understand that our radio traffic is used for lawful purposes both by members of the media and by private citizens. In order to maintain transparency while balancing the needs of public safety, radio traffic on primary dispatch channels is now available via a Broadcastify audio stream after a 30-minute delay.

The unedited audio feed can be found in the link below. It should begin appearing in “police scanner” apps as soon as those apps update their lists.

https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/39895

In order to protect personally-identifiable information, radio channels designated for informational use, e.g., checking warrants, missing persons, and driver’s license information, will not be made available.