Police scanners to stay dark, ERICA vote split

For now, local media will continue to be stripped of its access to police scanners in five area communities.

In a vote Thursday, the Eastern Riverside County Interoperable Communications Authority (ERICA) split on a decision which would restore scanner access from police agencies in Palm Springs, Indio, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, and Beaumont.

Indio and Desert Hot Springs voted to restore access, Cathedral City and Beaumont voted against it, and Palm Springs abstained from the vote.

ORIGINAL STORY: Local media losing access to police scanners

Palm Springs’ abstention came due to no formal legal clarification on the topic from the city council.

Media access was cut off late last year.

In December, Palm Springs Chief of Police Bryan Reyes, City Attorney Edward Kotkin, Mayor Robert Moon, and City Manager David Ready, Ph.D. sat down with local media to defend their position.

“We’ve been put on notice by the Department of Justice that this cannot continue in the manner we have,” Reyes said.

News Channel 3 reached out to the California Department of Justice shortly after the scanners went dark.

The Department’s statement:

Pursuant to the CLETS Policies, Practices, and Procedures (attached) and the FBI CJIS Security Policy it has always been the case that only authorized personnel may have access for criminal justice purposes to any channels where CLETS data is being broadcast. The CA DOJ did not ask ERICA to revoke media’s access to ERICA. As stated above, it is standard policy that only authorized personnel for criminal justice purposes are entitled access to CLETS data.

In February, San Diego Assemblyman Todd Gloria introduced AB 1555, a bill that would require law enforcement agencies and joint powers authorities that control encrypted police radios to “provide access to the encrypted communications to a duly authorized representative of any news media upon request.”

The bill reached committee in April, according to leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

Palm Springs is currently working to implement an digital alternative to the police scanner system; watch News Channel 3 live at five to find out more.