The Boston Police Department’s radio transmissions are entering the digital age Saturday, much to the chagrin of local scanner enthusiasts .
The agency announced its plans earlier this week to convert its analog radio system to a digital encrypted system, meaning Boston police feeds will no longer be available over old-school scanner equipment. Instead, listeners can tune in to six Boston police channels free of charge via radio.rapidsos.com/boston .
However, the feed won’t be broadcast in real-time: The department said it plans to “slightly” delay the new system.
“In most cases the delay will be approximately 5 minutes,” Mariellen Burns, a Boston Police Department spokesperson, explained via email.
She said Saturday’s switch “will modernize our system and it will improve public sa