Police Department Fully Encrypted

South Gate Police

Los Angeles, California

What you can do right now

Encryption Details

Encryption Type P25 AES-256
Scope All Operations
Technical Details P25 AES-256

Verified Talkgroup Data

Verified Mar 6, 2026 Moderate confidence
20 Total Talkgroups
3 Encrypted
17 Unencrypted
15% Encrypted
Radio System: Nextel (Santiago), Shell (Carson), United States Department of Defense (14C), National Science and Technology Network (Rancho Palos Verdes 1), National Science and Technology Network (Mount Lukens 2), National Science and Technology Network (Mt. Lukens, Oat, Sierra), Touch Tel Mobile (217 MHz LA Basin), Phillips 66 Refineries, SoFi Stadium, Ramirez Electronics (Lukens), United Airlines DT3
View 3 talkgroups
DEC Alpha Tag Description Status
27234 NNSY GATESEC Gate Security Encrypted
27012 NSA JFSC NSA Joint Forces Staff College Gate Security Encrypted
15 CSC ENTRY CSC Security Entry Gate Encrypted

Verification Status

We don't yet have per-talkgroup data for South Gate Police from the RadioReference API. The encryption scope and type above come from the RadioReference Wiki, which is community-maintained rather than independently confirmed channel-by-channel. Our automated matching put this at moderate confidence (70%) based on how closely the wiki listing matches this agency's name and county.

If you monitor South Gate Police directly or have more current information, the fastest way to fix this is to update the RadioReference Wiki entry — our data pulls from there and from the RadioReference API on a regular refresh cycle.

Los Angeles County Context

South Gate 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.

What This Means

This agency is listed in our database as encrypting all of its radio communications, including routine dispatch. The listing is unverified — confirm current status on the live RadioReference database.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is South Gate Police radio encrypted?

South Gate Police is listed in our records with P25 AES-256 encryption — a listing we haven't yet verified against live talkgroup data. This agency is listed in our database as encrypting all of its radio communications, including routine dispatch. The listing is unverified — confirm current status on the live RadioReference database.

Can I listen to South Gate Police on a police scanner?

Likely not, if the listing is accurate: our database lists South Gate Police as fully encrypted using P25 AES-256, which no consumer scanner can decode. The listing is unverified — check the live RadioReference database for current status.

Why do agencies like South Gate Police encrypt their radio?

Officer safety and operational security are the reasons agencies give. What rarely comes with that explanation is Los Angeles County-specific evidence that open communications ever caused a problem, while the loss of public oversight and the friction with still-unencrypted neighboring agencies are both immediate and real.

Can Los Angeles County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes. Encryption is a policy choice made by department leadership or elected officials, not a technical requirement, so it can be reversed the same way. Public pressure, city council advocacy, and organized local coalitions have reversed encryption decisions elsewhere.

What can I do about South Gate Police encryption?

Ask for the paperwork first — the policy that authorised encryption for South Gate Police, and the recordings themselves — because a specific request is harder to wave away than a general complaint. Then take what you learn to a council meeting, and bring others from Los Angeles County with you.

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