Palm Springs Mayor asking for review of decision to silence police scanners for media
Palm Springs Mayor Robert Moon is asking for a review of a newly adopted policy by local police agencies that have left local media outlets in silence when it comes to their radio signals.
Watch: “Radio Silent” – Authorities turn off media access to scanner traffic
News Channel 3, NBC Palm Springs, and the Desert Sun have all reported on this issue.
The Eastern Riverside County Interoperable Communications Authority handles radio signals for the Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Indio, and Beaumont police departments. The ERICA board decided to turn-off media access, which had been allowed for 8 years, citing new privacy rules.
Now, Moon is asking the board to re-open the discussion, sending a letter to ERICA Chairman & Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas.
Full letter from Mayor Moon to Mayor Matas.
Chairman Matas,
Our ERICA Executive Committee Meeting Schedule from last year is attached. Two of our former Directors, Stan Henry and Mike Wilson, are no longer in office and will need to be replaced for this coming year.
I would like to formally request that our Board of Directors make inquiry to the cities of Indio and Cathedral City for replacements for these Directors and that we schedule a BOD meeting for the latter part of January or at the latest early February to include the new representatives. Due to the recent public concern regarding our ERICA policies I would recommend that it is imperative that we create a fully staffed Board of Directors and, as a group, objectively review the recent decisions regarding encryption and the legal aspects regarding those decisions.
In order to ensure transparency in our Board’s discussions and decision making, I would suggest that we notice our next meeting in advance and make that meeting available to the public to attend.
Wishing you the best for the holidays and the new year. I look forward to our next BOD meeting in January or early February. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance in organizing that meeting.
Best regards,
Rob Moon
Media outlets have argued that the agencies haven’t provided any examples of the media violating anyone’s privacy and that the scanner is an important tool to alert residents to emergency information and hold local law enforcement accountable.
Download the KESQ & CBS Local 2 app on iTunes or Google Play for up-to-the-minute breaking news alerts & more
More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations
Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2
Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2
We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2
Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
