Encrypted radio helps police sneak up on crims

The police's encrypted radio network has allowed them to sneak up on bank robbers and gang members, and is even proving useful against boy racers.

The radios, which will cost more than $150 million to set up nationwide, were trialled in Lower Hutt last June before being extended across the Wellington region.

They are set to be introduced in Auckland and Canterbury from October.

Lower Hutt area commander Inspector Richard Chambers said they were proving invaluable in fighting crime and improving staff safety.

Police officers were able to discuss their location and plans freely without having to resort to mobile phones or coded messages.

"We don't have to talk in code any more," Mr Chambers said.

"It's especially good against boy racers. They listen to scanners, so it's made a real impact. They don't know where we are."

Police figures showed that recorded crime in Lower Hutt fell 3.3 per cent in 2009 – the largest drop in the Wellington police district.

Although it was not possible to conclusively link the drop to the digital radios, Mr Chambers felt the two were probably connected.

"It is difficult to quantify, but you only have to talk to frontline staff to recognise the benefits."

In late September police arrested a group of Mongrel Mob members thought to be stealing a car from Lower Hutt train station.

The encrypted radio meant the gang could not monitor police radio traffic and let the alleged thieves know they were being watched.

The gang members fled in a stolen car – which they quickly ditched, believing police were still chasing them, although the pursuit had been called off.

The radios also contributed to the arrest of an alleged Upper Hutt bank robber last August, by making communication and a co-ordinated police response easier after his car was spotted.

Last year there were reports of problems with the radios, including a five-second delay between the radio being activated and connecting to the network and a loss of reception in some of Wellington's hilly suburbs.

Deputy Commissioner Viv Rickard said most reports of delays were wrong and few calls queued for more than one second.

Mr Rickard said the system was undergoing continual improvement – including installing better software and changing frequencies in areas with poor reception and better education for officers about voice volume and how to use the radios.

There were now about 21,000 calls a day in the Wellington region, compared with 13,000 under the analogue system.

- © Fairfax NZ News