Security News > 2020 > June > Authorities Probe Radio, Website Disruptions During Protests
Authorities are investigating interference with police radio communications, websites and networks used by law enforcement and other officials during recent U.S. protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Officials were particularly concerned by interruptions to police radio frequencies during the last weekend of May as dispatchers tried to direct responses to large protests and unrest that overshadowed peaceful demonstrations.
During protests in Dallas on May 31, someone gained access to the police department's unencrypted radio frequency and disrupted officers' communications by playing music over their radios, according to a June 1 intelligence assessment from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The assessment noted similar problems with Chicago police's unencrypted radio frequencies during large downtown protests on May 30 followed by reports of arson, theft and vandalism.
Police around the country have encrypted their radio communications, often arguing that it's a way to protect officers and block criminals from listening in on widely available phone apps that broadcast police radio channels.