Glendale Police
Los Angeles, California
How we verified this
RadioReference ICI page shows all Glendale police talkgroups (dispatch, tactical, SWAT, narcotics) encrypted; only fire/admin talkgroups are clear. The DES-OFB algorithm claim was not visible on the fetched page.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
Los Angeles County Context
Glendale Police isn't an outlier here: 39 of the 46 public-safety agencies we track in Los Angeles County are fully encrypted (85%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Los Angeles County → County encryption overview →
What This Means
There is no partial access here: routine dispatch is encrypted alongside everything else, so a scanner picks up nothing from this agency at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glendale Police radio encrypted?
Yes. Glendale Police uses P25 DES-OFB encryption. There is no partial access here: routine dispatch is encrypted alongside everything else, so a scanner picks up nothing from this agency at all.
Can I listen to Glendale Police on a police scanner?
No. Glendale Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 DES-OFB. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Glendale Police encrypt their radio?
The reasons offered are almost always the same two: officer safety and operational security. Whether either was tested against a real Los Angeles County incident is rarely part of the public record, whereas the consequences are easy to observe — no real-time accountability, and neighbouring agencies still in the clear left working around the gap.
Can Los Angeles County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Los Angeles 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 Glendale Police encryption?
Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Glendale Police's encryption policy and radio recordings, a turn at the microphone during Los Angeles County budget discussions, and finding the other people locally already asking the same question. Individually these are easy to deflect; together they are not.