Drug Enforcement Agency
Statewide, Delaware
How we verified this
As of August 2026 all three DEA talkgroups carried on the State of Delaware P25 system — "1135 SW-DEA1 | DEA Statewide 1", "569 SW-DEATF1" and "1131 KS-DEA2" — are marked T Enc.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Drug Enforcement Agency radio encrypted?
Yes. Drug Enforcement Agency uses 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 Drug Enforcement Agency on a police scanner?
No. Drug Enforcement Agency has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Drug Enforcement Agency encrypt their radio?
The reasons offered are almost always the same two: officer safety and operational security. Whether either was tested against a real Statewide County incident is rarely part of the public record, whereas the consequences are easy to observe — no real-time accountability, and neighbouring agencies still in the clear left working around the gap.
Can Statewide County reverse the encryption decision?
Nothing technical prevents it. Drug Enforcement Agency operates encrypted because someone decided it should, and decisions of that kind get revisited when councils hear sustained, organised pressure rather than isolated complaints.
What can I do about Drug Enforcement Agency encryption?
Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Drug Enforcement Agency's encryption policy and radio recordings, a turn at the microphone during Statewide County budget discussions, and finding the other people locally already asking the same question. Individually these are easy to deflect; together they are not.