8 of 10 Maricopa County agencies are fully encrypted
10 public safety agencies in Maricopa County, Arizona have encrypted their radio communications. 80% Encrypted
Radio encryption in Maricopa County
Maricopa County's record is unusual: none of the 45 monitored talkgroups in this dataset are flagged encrypted, and 44 of them are logged as clear, even though nine of the ten listed agencies are recorded as fully encrypted. Half the agency records — five of ten — are unverified, so the agency-level picture is the weaker half of this data. Verified entries include Mesa Police Department (P25 AES), Salt River Police (P25 AES), Phoenix City Services and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (both P25 AES-256); the database also carries an entry listed as "Phoenix Fire *SOON*". Unverified entries cover Buckeye Police, Goodyear Police, and the Goodyear, Glendale and Dear Valley airport records. Systems in the county include the Arizona Wireless Integrated Network System (AZ WINS), Motorola Solutions AZ Airtime DT3, Com-Rents, Mesa Unified School District #4 (NXDN), Southern California Edison and Nextel (Phoenix 3).
Compiled from this site's agency database. Encryption status changes without notice — confirm any specific agency on RadioReference.
Radio systems serving Maricopa County
- Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC)
- Nextel (Phoenix 3)
- Southern California Edison
- Mesa Unified School District #4 (NXDN)
- Motorola Solutions AZ Airtime DT3
- Com-Rents (MOT)
- Arizona Wireless Integrated Network System (AZ WINS)
Of 45 talkgroups catalogued for Maricopa County, 0 are encrypted and 44 remain in the clear. A scanner can still receive the unencrypted channels.
8 of 10 records here have been checked against a primary source; 2 have not.
System and talkgroup counts come from this site's agency database and change without notice — confirm current status on RadioReference.
Encryption Technology Used in Maricopa County
Encrypted Agencies in Maricopa County
| Agency Name | Type | Encryption | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckeye Police | Police | P25 AES | Partially Encrypted |
| Dear Valley Airport ✓ | Airport | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Glendale Airport ✓ | Airport | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Goodyear Airport ✓ | Airport | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Goodyear Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Mesa Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 AES | Fully Encrypted |
| Phoenix City Services ✓ | Other | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Phoenix Fire *SOON* ✓ | Fire | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport ✓ | Airport | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Salt River Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES | Fully Encrypted |
Related Case Studies
Learn more about police radio encryption issues in Maricopa County and Arizona.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maricopa County police radio encrypted?
8 of 10 agencies in Maricopa County, Arizona are fully encrypted (80%), while 2 have partial encryption.
How many police departments in Maricopa County are encrypted?
4 police departments in Maricopa County have implemented some level of encryption, along with 0 sheriff offices, 1 fire departments, and 0 EMS agencies.
What encryption technology does Maricopa County use?
The most common encryption type in Maricopa County is P25 AES-256, used by agencies for secure communications. This encryption blocks public scanner monitoring.
Fight Encryption in Maricopa County
Join the movement to restore transparency to public safety communications in Maricopa County, Arizona.