Police Switching to Encrypted Radio Channel 
We at the Los Altos Police Department wish to provide an update to the public regarding our radio communications system, which is used to communicate sensitive, private information during the course of our duties.
In October of 2020, the California Department of Justice notified every police department in the State of a policy update that mandates the transmission of sensitive personally identifiable information (PII) be encrypted. The purpose of the mandate is to protect the privacy and identity of any person whose information is broadcast over a police radio frequency.
Currently, of the thirteen Santa Clara County law enforcement agencies, there are four remaining whose radio frequencies are unencrypted. Los Altos is one of the remaining four, along with Mountain View, Santa Clara, and Milpitas.
The Los Altos Police Department plans to make the transition on March 1, 2021. Every law enforcement agency within Santa Clara County will be switched over to encrypted transmissions by the end of this year.
Learn More: https://www.losaltosca.gov/police/page/radio-encryption
Address/Location
Los Altos Police Department
1 N San Antonio Rd
Los Altos, CA 94022
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 650-947-2770
