PORT HURON, MI — Police radio traffic in Port Huron is expected to go silent to the public this week as the department begins encrypting its communications, a change tied to statewide requirements aimed at protecting sensitive information.
Once implemented, traditional radio scanners and mobile apps used by the public will no longer be able to pick up police transmissions.
In an April 20 email to the mayor and City Council, City Manager James Freed said the change is part of a broader effort.
“As part of a statewide officer-safety effort, all police radio traffic is required to become encrypted,” Freed wrote. “We are scheduled to begin encrypting our radio traffic within the next 48–72 hours, with completion expected by Wednesday (April 22).”
While residents may notice the sudden loss of access, officials say the change will not affect day-to-day operations for officers or dispatchers.
“It doesn’t affect how we communicate day to day, it just won’t be picked up by anyone without the proper encryption,” said Port Huron Police Chief Brian Kerrigan.
The move stems from guidance issued by the Michigan State Police requiring law enforcement agencies to comply with federal Criminal Justice Information Services security standards.
Those standards require that criminal justice information — including personal data, tactical details and active scene communications — be encrypted when transmitted over radio systems.
The guidance follows a 2023 FBI audit that found agencies across Michigan were not fully compliant with encryption requirements for radio communications.
Since then, departments have been working toward meeting the standards, with enforcement and potential sanctions beginning in October 2026 for those that fail to comply.
Freed said the change is also intended to prevent sensitive information from being shared publicly in real time.
“Over the years, we have seen instances where sensitive activity has been monitored and posted to social media in real time,” he wrote. “In at least one case, Special Response Team movements were shared publicly as they were occurring, which created a safety risk for officers and the public.”
Once encryption is in place, only authorized law enforcement personnel will be able to access police radio traffic.
“This isn’t just us, other agencies and counties have already switched, and this is the direction everyone is going because of the requirement,” Kerrigan said.
Agencies across Michigan are expected to implement similar measures as part of the statewide compliance effort, though timelines may vary by department.
Fire and emergency medical radio traffic will remain unencrypted for now, with similar changes expected at a later date.
As scanners go quiet, the shift is likely to raise questions among residents who have long relied on public radio traffic for real-time awareness of police activity, as well as media organizations that have used scanners as a reporting tool.
James Jackson, a resident of St. Clair, runs a Facebook page, St. Clair County Mi. Scanner, devoted to following news of incidents happening around the county from fires to shootings to shoplifting. He opposed the encryption, arguing there was no threat to first responder safety.
“It is absolutely unnecessary,” Jackson said in a message over social media. “Unnecessary for public safety, unnecessary for privacy, unnecessary for security. Completely unnecessary. Never once in almost 50 years of listening to the scanner have I ever heard of any emergency services persons safety being compromised.”
Jackson said the encryption will not be the end for the Facebook group he started, which has 41,390 members. He said he intends to enlist all of their help to collectively keep the community informed.
“I have never supported chasing ambulances, but I will when encryption is turned on. I will ask all 41000+ members to legally follow and report,” Jackson said, adding that he did not want anyone to disturb or interrupt first responders, only to follow them to keep the county informed.
Officials say more information will be shared with the public as the transition is completed.
Contact reporter Andy Jeffrey at ajeffrey@usatodayco.com. Reporter Johnathan Hogan contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Why police scanners will stop working in Port Huron this week
Reporting by Andy Jeffrey, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
