For many years, local residents and news media have learned what was in the neighborhood by listening to a scanner.

The benefits are self-evident. An aware, informed person is a safe person.But imagine this scenario: A shooting takes place in your neighborhood and you have no access to information, no way to find out what's going on. That hypothetical scenario is becoming reality in our local area and across the state.Per Federal Communications Commission mandates, state police switched two years ago to a digital communications system that allows for encoding and prevents monitoring by typical home scanners, whether analog or digital.Local police and some EMS responders are following suit.In Schuylkill County alone, this initiative will cost $16.3 million. And it's not even comprehensive. It doesn't include every type of emergency response. For instance, fire departments, ambulance and fire police still use the traditional analog system and are out of the loop.Make no mistake, the new technology has advantages. It allows a system to accommodate more radios and can improve transmission quality and generate additional options for emergency communications.But the drawbacks are many.Fire departments and some medical response units can't monitor the new, encoded transmissions. This is resulting in a breakdown in the flow of communications. Effectiveness is compromised.This situation was apparent at a recent shooting incident in Tamaqua when some responders were unaware why they had been summoned to the scene or where to report. Parents saw multiple police units in their neighborhood but had no idea why, or whether there was a threat to them and their children.In another area, fire departments expressed concern that police are being dispatched to fires before firefighters are notified.Privacy in radio communications can be important in certain situations.Nobody would argue that some police work is sensitive and confidential, best performed undercover. For example, certain investigations or strategies for drug busts must remain proprietary.By blocking access to information, encrypted scanner transmissions blind the eyes of the media and the public.While some feel this protects responders from "sightseers," it also removes the potential for the public's cooperation and assistance. That, alone, is a major disadvantage. History shows that public input is often a key to solving a crime or catching a perp.When the media is kept in the dark, the public's right to know is not only compromised, but endangered. We can't report on an emergency we don't know about.Truth is, the most meaningful access to information comes in the form of on-the-scene reporting by savvy, skilled news writers and photographers.Right now, the time-honored tradition of news gathering and the public right to know is under assault. It's a result of decisions made by bureaucrats who might not have realized the repercussions.Let's hope clearer heads prevail. People have a right to know what's happening in their neighborhood.Emergency responders, the public and the media require an open flow of communication. The need for information and safety applies to everyone.By DONALD R. SERFASSdserfass@tnonline.com