LVMPD operated on a digital radio system (DesertSky), which was turned on in 2011. As of February 2018, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department encrypted their radio frequencies; blocking the public from using police scanners. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department stated that the decision to encrypt their radio channels was made back in 2015 due to officer safety concerns. However, since the switch was made fairly soon after the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, some speculate that the change was inspired after the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's radio traffic of the event was recorded and released to the media.