Police Department Partially Encrypted

Buckeye Police

Maricopa, Arizona

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference lists Buckeye PD 1, Buckeye PD 2, Buckeye PD A and Buckeye PD B on the Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) as encrypted ("D Enc"), while Buckeye PD Alt and Buckeye PD Event remain in the clear.

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09: radioreference.com . Encryption status changes without notice — confirm the current picture on the live RadioReference database before relying on it.

What you can do right now

Encryption Details

Encryption Type P25 AES
Scope All Operations except alternate dispatch and events
Technical Details P25 AES

Maricopa County Context

Buckeye Police isn't an outlier here: 8 of the 10 public-safety agencies we track in Maricopa County are fully encrypted (80%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.

What This Means

Coverage here is uneven — parts of the system are locked and parts are open, so a scanner gives you an incomplete rather than an empty picture.

See encryption status nationwide Interactive map showing which US police departments have encrypted their radios. Open the encryption map →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Buckeye Police radio encrypted?

Yes. Buckeye Police uses P25 AES encryption. Coverage here is uneven — parts of the system are locked and parts are open, so a scanner gives you an incomplete rather than an empty picture.

Can I listen to Buckeye Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Buckeye Police encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why did Buckeye Police encrypt their radio?

Agencies cite officer safety and operational security. Those are assertions rather than findings — no local evidence is typically produced — while the effects are concrete and land straight away on anyone who relied on hearing Buckeye Police to know what was happening nearby.

Can Maricopa County reverse the encryption decision?

Nothing technical prevents it. Buckeye Police operates encrypted because someone decided it should, and decisions of that kind get revisited when councils hear sustained, organised pressure rather than isolated complaints.

What can I do about Buckeye Police encryption?

File a FOIA request for Buckeye Police's radio recordings and encryption-decision paperwork, then show up to speak at a council or commission meeting. Find other residents or journalists in Maricopa County who want the same access — state legislation requiring public radio access is the longer-term fix, but organized local pressure is what usually moves the needle first.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09 — see "How we verified this" above. Encryption status changes; confirm at RadioReference before relying on it.

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