City Council Bill to Decrypt Police Radio Has a Surprising Winner — Citizen App

Author

• Mikella Schuetter, Craig Newmark Graduate School of JournalismFollow
• Kennedy Sessions, Craig Newmark Graduate School of JournalismFollow
• Marina Samuel, Craig Newmark Graduate School of JournalismFollow

Graduation Date

Fall 12-19-2025

Grading Professor

Walter Smith Randolph

Subject Concentration

Urban Reporting

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Abstract

After the NYPD encrypted police scanners in 2024, eliminating public access to police radio communications, the New York City Council passed a bill on Dec. 18 to restore limited access for journalists and the public. The move could benefit Citizen, a crime-alert app that has pushed for decryption while entering a “no cost” partnership with the city, even as former employees and advocates raise concerns about the app’s practices and growing role in New York City’s public safety.

Recommended Citation

Schuetter, Mikella; Sessions, Kennedy; and Samuel, Marina, "City Council Bill to Decrypt Police Radio Has a Surprising Winner — Citizen App" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/831