14 of 22 Santa Clara County agencies are fully encrypted
22 public safety agencies in Santa Clara County, California have encrypted their radio communications.
Radio systems serving Santa Clara County
- Santa Clara
- Silicon Valley Regional Communications System (SVRCS)
- TelePath Corporation (Connect Plus)
- California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS)
- Silke Communications FleetNet
- RFC Wireless
- NASA Ames Research Center trunking system
- Crystal Communications (Loma Prieta)
Of 220 talkgroups catalogued for Santa Clara County, 14 are encrypted and 206 remain in the clear. A scanner can still receive the unencrypted channels.
21 of 22 records here have been checked against a primary source; 1 has 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 Santa Clara County
Encrypted Agencies in Santa Clara County
| Agency Name | Type | Encryption | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Foothill-De Anza Community College District ✓ | University | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Gilroy Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Los Altos Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Los Gatos Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Milpitas Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Morgan Hill Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Mountain View Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Mountain View Fire ✓ | Fire | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| NASA Ames Research Center ✓ | Other | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Palo Alto Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| San Jose Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| San Jose Incident Command System ✓ | Other | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| San Jose State University Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Santa Clara Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services ✓ | Ems | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Santa Clara County Mutual Aid ✓ | Sheriff | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Santa Clara County Sheriff ✓ | Sheriff | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Santa Clara County Services ✓ | Sheriff | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Protective Services ✓ | Ems | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Sunnyvale Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| West Valley Mission College District Police ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
Related Case Studies
Learn more about police radio encryption issues in California.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Clara County police radio encrypted?
14 of 22 agencies in Santa Clara County, California are fully encrypted (64%), while 8 have partial encryption.
Can I listen to Santa Clara County Sheriff on a scanner?
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office has encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. Scanner monitoring of sheriff operations is no longer possible.
How many police departments in Santa Clara County are encrypted?
13 police departments in Santa Clara County have implemented some level of encryption, along with 3 sheriff offices, 1 fire departments, and 2 EMS agencies.
What encryption technology does Santa Clara County use?
The most common encryption type in Santa Clara County is P25 AES-256, used by agencies for secure communications. This encryption blocks public scanner monitoring.
Fight Encryption in Santa Clara County
Join the movement to restore transparency to public safety communications in Santa Clara County, California.