Listening to police scanners is now a thing of the past as Tasmania Police sign off from the old radio network for the very last time.
From today, Tasmania Police are changing their radio communications to prevent them being snooped on by criminals, hoons and anyone else with a scanner.
Police and all government agencies, including the Tasmanian Fire Service and SES, will move exclusively to the Tasmanian Government Radio Network which offers encrypted and secure radio communications.
Police Minister Felix Ellis said people who snoop on the police by listening in on their scanner communications will have to find something else to occupy their time in future.
“For all the people who listen to the police scanner, it’s time to get a life or a Netflix subscription,” Ellis said.
“We know our police attend private household and community matters which need to be handled sensitively.”
“Now with TasGRN, any risk that these matters may be promoted via police scanner will be avoided.”
Acting Commissioner Jonathan Higgins made the final broadcast on the now-retired network at 11:45am on Wednesday.
“VKT to all units, standby for a statewide broadcast,” Higgins said.
“All units this historic moment comes 75 years after the first radios were used by Tasmania Police in 1949.”
“We bid a warm farewell to our thousands of subscribers who have been listening to our open police communications over the years.”
“This is Alpha One, signing off this network for the final time on behalf of Tasmania Police.”
The new $763 million network replaces five separate systems and will enable all of Tasmania’s emergency services to communicate on one platform.
Hydro Tasmania, TasNetworks, Parks and Wildlife and Sustainable Timber Tasmania are currently using the new network, while Ambulance Tasmania, TFS and SES will transition throughout September and October.
