Police Department Fully Encrypted

Tustin Police

Orange, California

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference lists all three Tustin Police talkgroups on Orange County's CCCS system, including Police Dispatch (Green 1), as encrypted, and Tustin's police talk-around frequency is listed as P25E.

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09: radioreference.com . Encryption status changes without notice — confirm the current picture on the live RadioReference database before relying on it.

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 Aug 9, 2026
0 Total Talkgroups
0 Encrypted
0 Unencrypted
0% Encrypted
Radio System: Countywide Coordinated Communications System (CCCS)

Orange County Context

Tustin Police isn't an outlier here: 34 of the 35 public-safety agencies we track in Orange County are fully encrypted (97%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.

What This Means

This agency encrypts all of its radio communications, including routine dispatch. The public, journalists, and even other first responders can't monitor its activity.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tustin Police radio encrypted?

Yes — Tustin Police's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 encryption. This agency encrypts all of its radio communications, including routine dispatch. The public, journalists, and even other first responders can't monitor its activity.

Can I listen to Tustin Police on a police scanner?

No. Tustin Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.

Why did Tustin Police encrypt their radio?

Ask why, and the answer is usually officer safety, sometimes operational security. What is harder to obtain is any documented case in Orange County where an open channel caused harm. The costs need no such documentation: reporting on police department response slows down, and mutual-aid coordination gets more awkward, immediately.

Can Orange 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 Tustin Police encryption?

Ask for the paperwork first — the policy that authorised encryption for Tustin 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 Orange County with you.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki + RadioReference API (verified)

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09 — see "How we verified this" above. Encryption status changes; confirm at RadioReference before relying on it.

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