Department of Homeland Security Investigations
Borough Wide, Alaska
How we verified this
As of August 2026 the two Homeland Security Investigations talkgroups RadioReference lists on Alaska Land Mobile Radio (ALMR) are encrypted — "17411 Homeland Secur 1 — D Enc" and "17412 Homeland Secur 2 — D Enc".
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
What This Means
All traffic, including the day-to-day dispatch that used to be the public's window into police activity, now runs encrypted. Nothing from this department is receivable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Department of Homeland Security Investigations radio encrypted?
Yes — Department of Homeland Security Investigations's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 encryption. All traffic, including the day-to-day dispatch that used to be the public's window into police activity, now runs encrypted. Nothing from this department is receivable.
Can I listen to Department of Homeland Security Investigations on a police scanner?
No. Department of Homeland Security Investigations has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Department of Homeland Security Investigations encrypt their radio?
Departments typically point to officer safety and operational security. Neither claim tends to come with evidence specific to Borough Wide County; what's verifiable is what's lost — journalists can't monitor state agency activity in real time, and coordination with agencies that stay unencrypted gets harder.
Can Borough Wide County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes, and some departments already have. Because encryption here is a choice rather than a technical necessity, the path back runs through the same people who chose it: budget hearings, records requests, and residents who keep asking in public.
What can I do about Department of Homeland Security Investigations encryption?
Contact the officials who oversee Department of Homeland Security Investigations's budget directly and ask why full encryption was chosen over partial alternatives. Pair that with a FOIA request for recordings and policy records, and look for an existing coalition in Borough Wide County, or start one, since agencies respond differently to organized, sustained pressure than to individual complaints.