OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- The Oakland Police Department will begin encrypting its radio communications on Wednesday, cutting off access to the public and media to protect community and officer safety.

The decision to encrypt the radio channels follows a policy from the California Department of Justice requiring the encryption of personal identifiable information transmitted over police radios.

Brian Hofer, chair of Secure Justice, opposes the move, stating, "I think from an optics perspective it's certainly bad news."

State Senator Josh Becker, who has attempted to pass legislation to prevent limiting radio access, said, "This is about accountability, it's about transparency, it's about restoring access to something that the public has had via the media for 60 years."

Hofer, who helped

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