An Important Update for Siouxland Scanner Supporters I've be...

An Important Update for Siouxland Scanner Supporters I've been hesitant to share this with you all, but I feel it's time to be transparent about the challenges we're facing at Siouxland Scanner. What Happened On May 20th, several local law enforcement agencies - Sioux City Police, Woodbury County Sheriff, Sergeant Bluff Police, and Dakota County Sheriff - changed their radio encryption without notifying any media outlets. Around the same time, North Sioux City Police and Union County Sheriff also began using encrypted radio traffic. While other established media organizations were able to get their radios updated for continued access, I was denied. The Response from Law Enforcement After being ignored or brushed off by most agencies, I was finally able to meet with Sioux City Police Chief Rex Mueller. He was direct with me: the reason I wasn't given updated access is because I'm not considered "actual media" by their standards. Chief Mueller emphasized that he had no founded complaints about my work and acknowledged that I was an asset to the community. The exclusion, he said, was solely because I'm not part of established "big media." He did mention that if I were to "contract" with a local media agency, he'd have no issue providing access. Here's what other officials told me: North Sioux City Police Chief Rich Headid: Would give me access if Sioux City did Union County Sheriff Jim Prouty: Said he was going to follow what other local chiefs and sheriffs did Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan: Didn't reply to multiple emails requesting to speak Sergeant Bluff Police Chief Jereme Muller: Initially told me media wasn't getting access, then when I corrected him that other media did have access, he told me to talk to Starcomm - essentially punting the issue The Bigger Picture As you all know, I have more than 10 years of experience covering public safety news in Siouxland, with 8 of those years having access to encrypted radio. I'm not perfect, but I've learned from my mistakes over the years and have built a large following and loyal supporter base like yourselves. The reality is that without radio access, there's no way for me - or anyone else without it - to effectively cover breaking news in Siouxland. Reporting based solely on press releases is inadequate because police only release information when pressured to do so, and it's rarely done in a timely manner. If I don't know things are happening, I can't ask about them. What's Next? I'm honestly not sure what the next step is. Everything feels like it's in limbo, and I sometimes feel like they're just hoping I'll go away. I could potentially sue each department, but that's expensive with no guarantee of success. I could appeal to city and county councils, but that's very time-consuming. This situation has developed partly because other groups have tried to mimic what we do here at Siouxland Scanner and have failed in many ways, creating problems that have affected all of us. I want to thank all of you for your continued support over the years. Your loyalty means everything to me, and I'm committed to finding a way forward. I'll keep you updated as this situation develops. Stay safe, Siouxland.