Edmonton police have moved radio communications to an encrypted system, locking out the public and news media from tuning in through scanners. The move to the Alberta First Responder Radio Communications System has been years in the making. The service has been steadily moving to the new radio system since November 2017, she said. Police services may use other means to inform the public, such as news releases and social media, Holman said, but relying on those communications would reduce the media to "a megaphone for whatever the police wants to tell the public." In Calgary, access to police radio communications has been barred from the public but selectively provided to media outlets.

Source: CBC News January 07, 2021 00:56 UTC