In 2024, the East Brunswick Police Department in New Jersey conducted a multi-agency sting operation to apprehend individuals involved in child exploitation. Operations like this present significant communication challenges when relying solely on traditional two-way radios used by public safety personnel.
In this case, East Brunswick made the decision to rely on new push-to-talk technology from Tango Tango to enable better communication capabilities for the agencies participating in the sting.
“The success of this operation was, in no small part, due to the seamless communication enabled by your system.”
Chief Frank LoSacco of East Brunswick PD said of the operation in a letter to Tango Tango:
I wanted to take a moment to thank the entire Tango-Tango team for a very successful multi-jurisdictional operation in East Brunswick. The success of this operation was, in no small part, due to the seamless communication enabled by your system.
Our agency conducted a multi-day operation with numerous agencies, and we were able to easily establish an operations communication network utilizing our Tango-Tango system. This proved to be an essential asset in keeping our officers and personnel from various jurisdictions connected and coordinated throughout the investigation. Your system’s ability to facilitate clear, real-time communication across all the agencies ensured that everyone was on the same page, allowing us to work together effectively to address the challenges that arose.
In what can often be a chaotic and time-sensitive environment, the reliability and ease of use of the Tango-Tango system made a remarkable difference. The system’s ability to integrate with multiple jurisdictions truly enhanced our teamwork and contributed to the successful outcome of the investigation.
Please extend my thanks to your team for their continued support, and we look forward to using Tango-Tango in future operations. It’s not often that technology exceeds our expectations, but in this case, Tango-Tango certainly did.
Key problems solved for covert police operations & multi-agency task forces
Key problems that Tango Tango solves for covert operations & multi-jurisdiction task forces:
- With two-way radio alone, each participant must have a properly programmed radio.
- Maintaining a cache of spare radios to accommodate multiple agencies & special situations is both costly and often impractical, especially for short-notice deployments.
- Tango Tango eliminates these constraints by transforming any smartphone into a fully functional two-way radio. This significantly reduces the need for expensive, specialized hardware that may not be readily available.
- In plainclothes operations, traditional two-way radios are bulky, loud, and easily noticeable.
- A two-way radio can compromise an officer’s discretion in a covert situation.
- By using Tango Tango on a smartphone, radio traffic can be transmitted through the phone’s earpiece or routed to AirPods and other Bluetooth earbuds. This allows officers to stay connected without drawing attention—appearing as though they are simply listening to music or engaged in a regular phone call.
- Traditional radio systems lack the flexibility to quickly adapt.
- Tradtional radio channels or talkgroups are pre-programmed and static, requiring reprogramming of the radios and/or system itself to make a change —a process that is neither simple nor fast.
- Tango Tango solves this problem by enabling users to create and modify talkgroups dynamically, “on the fly.” This flexibility ensures that teams can instantly form new communication channels as tactical situations evolve, providing seamless coordination in high-stakes operations.
Statement from Tango Tango CEO Trey Sharp
“There is no greater cause than protecting children, and we are honored that Tango Tango played a role in helping agencies communicate more effectively during this critical operation. This mission is at the core of why our company exists—public safety technology has lagged behind consumer technology for too long. We are committed to changing that.
This operation is yet another example of the tangible impact better technology can have when placed in the hands of first responders. Time and again, we have seen that better communication leads to better outcomes. We will continue to innovate so those on the front lines have the tools they need to succeed.”
About Tango Tango
Tango Tango is based in Huntsville, AL. The company connects tens of thousands of first responders and handles millions of first responder two-way radio conversations per month . The company features unique simple pricing, allowing agencies to join the network with a flat fee for as little as $2,995 per year per agency for Unlimited Users. Click the button below to learn more about Tango Tango.