UC Berkeley Police
Alameda, California
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference lists UC Berkeley Police Dispatch and the Police Supervisors talkgroup on EBRCS as encrypted, while Police Channel 2, Investigations, Enforcement and Tactical are listed unencrypted.
Encryption Details
Alameda County Context
Alameda County is a mixed picture: 2 of 9 agencies we track here are fully encrypted (22%), which means some neighboring departments are still audible on a scanner.
See every agency we track in Alameda County → County encryption overview →
What This Means
Some of this agency's traffic is encrypted and some is not. What you can hear depends on the channel and on what the department is doing at the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is UC Berkeley Police radio encrypted?
Yes. UC Berkeley Police uses P25 AES-256 encryption. Some of this agency's traffic is encrypted and some is not. What you can hear depends on the channel and on what the department is doing at the time.
Can I listen to UC Berkeley Police on a police scanner?
Partially. UC Berkeley 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 UC Berkeley Police encrypt their radio?
The standard justification nationwide is officer safety and operational security, regardless of whether a documented local incident ever required it. The tradeoff that follows is consistent too: public oversight drops, and reporters lose the ability to track police department response as it happens.
Can Alameda County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Alameda 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 UC Berkeley Police encryption?
Put the question to whoever signs off on UC Berkeley 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 Alameda County so the ask arrives as a group rather than a one-off.