The exact arguments the news stations are using in Chicago right now were used back when the Jacksonville PD started using encryption over 10 years ago.
There is a legitimate argument to be made about criminals using cheap handheld scanners to listen to where cops were being dispatched to plan even more crimes, etc..
However, from my home I can get listen to the Jacksonville FD and a couple of more FDs in my area.
When radio traffic went digital and things like trunking and talk groups became standard it was only a matter of time before PDs everywhere went encrypted, fortunately FDs are still open for listening.
The downside for geeks like me is the cost of a modern scanner capable of picking up digital systems that are trunked and simulcast has really gone up.
“There is a legitimate argument to be made about criminals using cheap handheld scanners to listen to where cops were being dispatched to plan even more crimes, etc..”
There’s also a legitimate public interest in monitoring people we grant special privileges, like police, to make sure they are being honest. Having their radios be public is an easy way to crowdsource some of that.