Colorado State Patrol
Statewide, Colorado
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference lists every Colorado State Patrol troop dispatch and tactical talkgroup on the State of Colorado DTRS in the clear, with encryption applied only to the two Investigative Services Section talkgroups.
Encryption Details
What This Means
Coverage here is uneven — parts of the system are locked and parts are open, so a scanner gives you an incomplete rather than an empty picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Colorado State Patrol radio encrypted?
Yes — Colorado State Patrol's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 encryption. Coverage here is uneven — parts of the system are locked and parts are open, so a scanner gives you an incomplete rather than an empty picture.
Can I listen to Colorado State Patrol on a police scanner?
Partially. Colorado State Patrol encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Colorado State Patrol 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 Statewide County where an open channel caused harm. The costs need no such documentation: reporting on state agency response slows down, and mutual-aid coordination gets more awkward, immediately.
Can Statewide County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes, and some departments already have. Because encryption here is a choice rather than a technical necessity, the path back runs through the same people who chose it: budget hearings, records requests, and residents who keep asking in public.
What can I do about Colorado State Patrol encryption?
Contact the officials who oversee Colorado State Patrol's budget directly and ask why full encryption was chosen over partial alternatives. Pair that with a FOIA request for recordings and policy records, and look for an existing coalition in Statewide County, or start one, since agencies respond differently to organized, sustained pressure than to individual complaints.