Local Chicago media outlets criticized Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot in a letter Tuesday as city authorities transition to the use of encrypted radio frequencies.
Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and the Chicago Police Department have begun using encrypted radio frequencies which prevents the public from listening to police activity in real time, according to WGN9. Lightfoot’s administration has reportedly refused to meet with concerned journalists about the situation, prompting several news organizations to write a letter.
The letter began by explaining that the public was able to remain informed during the July 4th shooting in Highland Park and remain safe because they could listen to police scanners or turn to reporters who were reporting live on the information being transmitted.
“But now, things have changed.”
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 28: Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on September 28, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“A shooting took place at a courthouse and police district in Chicago last week in broad daylight. The perpetrators fired more than 40 shots and escaped on an expressway,” the letter reads, according to WGN9. “You did not see, hear or read about that incident as it was happening. The City of Chicago prevented you from knowing about this dangerous incident by blocking all live scanner transmissions.”
“This jeopardized the lives of everyone at that police department, everyone at that courthouse, everyone on that expressway.” (RELATED: Here Are All The Companies Fleeing Crime-Infested Chicago)
“Real-time access to police scanners promotes transparency and accountability by law enforcement,” the letter reportedly continued.
The groups also allege that the city has completely removed some of the recorded transmissions from their broadcast “effectively causing certain police or fire incidents to vanish – as though they never happened.”
“To borrow language from the highest federal appellate court sitting in Chicago, ‘The newsworthiness of a particular story is often fleeting. To delay or postpone disclosure undermines the benefit of public scrutiny and may have the same result as complete suppression.’ We couldn’t agree more.”
“This is censorship in its purest form.”
The groups allege Lightfoot has refused to discuss the matter with the press.