Montgomery County police say full radio encryption is needed to protect privacy and officer safety

Montgomery County Police officials told the County Council Public Safety work session on July 7, 2025, that the department is completing full encryption of its radio system for dispatch and patrol channels to protect sensitive personal information and officer safety.

Department leaders said the measure is intended to reduce incidents such as swatting, blunt the spread of unverified information in real time and meet FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) requirements for transmitting protected records. Chief Mark Yamada, chief of police, said the move toward encryption "has become a necessity for law enforcement, not just regionally, but nationally."

The decision follows a phased approach the department described at the meeting. Assistant Chief Nicholas Oggstein, chief of the Management Services Bureau, said Montgomery County Police has been able to encrypt tactical channels since 2016 and is now in a final phase to encrypt dispatch and vehicle radios. "Radio…