Brentwood Police
Contra Costa, California
How we verified this
RadioReference EBRCS page shows Brentwood PD dispatch, detective, SWAT and command talkgroups encrypted with at least one talkgroup (BRPD 3) apparently clear; the page extract was ambiguous on BRPD 3 so scope is at least near-full but not verified as total.
Encryption Details
Contra Costa County Context
Contra Costa County is a mixed picture: 3 of 9 agencies we track here are fully encrypted (33%), which means some neighboring departments are still audible on a scanner.
See every agency we track in Contra Costa County → County encryption overview →
What This Means
This agency encrypts some of its communications while leaving others open. Which channels are affected depends on the operation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brentwood Police radio encrypted?
Yes. Brentwood Police uses P25 AES-256 encryption. This agency encrypts some of its communications while leaving others open. Which channels are affected depends on the operation.
Can I listen to Brentwood Police on a police scanner?
Partially. Brentwood 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 Brentwood 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 Brentwood Police to know what was happening nearby.
Can Contra Costa County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Contra Costa County officials made and can revisit, and other communities have pushed departments back toward open channels through sustained council pressure and coalition-building.
What can I do about Brentwood Police encryption?
Put the question to whoever signs off on Brentwood Police's radio budget: why full encryption rather than a delayed feed or tactical-only channels? File for the recordings and the decision documents alongside it, and link up with neighbours and local reporters in Contra Costa County so the ask arrives as a group rather than a one-off.