Longmont Department of Public Safety
Boulder/Weld, Colorado
How we verified this
As of August 2026 the police side of Longmont's Department of Public Safety is fully encrypted on the State of Colorado DTRS — "Longmont PD 1 | Longmont Police 1" (Law Dispatch), the three tactical talkgroups, SWAT, detectives and records all carry "D Enc" — while Longmont Fire ("Longmont FD 2", "LongmontFD Tac 2") and the Longmont EOC remain plain "D" and in the clear.
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 Longmont Department of Public Safety radio encrypted?
Yes — Longmont Department of Public Safety'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 Longmont Department of Public Safety on a police scanner?
Partially. Longmont Department of Public Safety encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Longmont Department of Public Safety encrypt their radio?
Departments typically point to officer safety and operational security. Neither claim tends to come with evidence specific to Boulder/Weld County; what's verifiable is what's lost — journalists can't monitor state agency activity in real time, and coordination with agencies that stay unencrypted gets harder.
Can Boulder/Weld 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 Longmont Department of Public Safety encryption?
Start local: show up when Boulder/Weld County officials discuss the budget for Longmont Department of Public Safety, and ask specifically why full encryption was chosen over a delayed feed or tactical-only approach. File a FOIA request for recordings or policy documents, and connect with others nearby who want the same information — a coordinated ask carries more weight than an individual one.