1 of 3 Highlands County agencies are fully encrypted
3 public safety agencies in Highlands County, Florida have encrypted their radio communications.
Radio encryption in Highlands County
Highlands County agencies share the regional Polk, Hardee, Highlands and DeSoto Counties public safety system, and all three use P25 AES-256. The Highlands County Sheriff's Office encrypts all monitored channels and Highlands County Services is listed the same way; the county's fire and EMS record encrypts specific channels only. The sheriff's office and fire and EMS entries are confirmed against RadioReference, while the Highlands County Services record is unverified. Fifteen of the 19 talkgroups tracked here are encrypted, leaving four in the clear, so most of the monitored traffic on the shared system is closed to a scanner. Verify what remains open before deciding a receiver is worth the cost.
Compiled from this site's agency database. Encryption status changes without notice — confirm any specific agency on RadioReference.
Radio systems serving Highlands County
- Polk, Hardee, Highlands, DeSoto Counties Public Safety
Of 19 talkgroups catalogued for Highlands County, 15 are encrypted and 4 remain in the clear. A scanner can still receive the unencrypted channels.
2 of 3 records here have been checked against a primary source; 1 has not.
System and talkgroup counts come from this site's agency database and change without notice — confirm current status on RadioReference.
Encryption Technology Used in Highlands County
Encrypted Agencies in Highlands County
| Agency Name | Type | Encryption | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands County Fire\EMS ✓ | Fire | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Highlands County Sheriff's Office ✓ | Sheriff | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| Highlands County Services | Sheriff | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
Related Case Studies
Learn more about police radio encryption issues in Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Highlands County police radio encrypted?
1 of 3 agencies in Highlands County, Florida are fully encrypted (33%), while 2 have partial encryption.
Can I listen to Highlands County Sheriff on a scanner?
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office has encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. Scanner monitoring of sheriff operations is no longer possible.
How many police departments in Highlands County are encrypted?
0 police departments in Highlands County have implemented some level of encryption, along with 2 sheriff offices, 1 fire departments, and 0 EMS agencies.
What encryption technology does Highlands County use?
The most common encryption type in Highlands County is P25 AES-256, used by agencies for secure communications. This encryption blocks public scanner monitoring.
Fight Encryption in Highlands County
Join the movement to restore transparency to public safety communications in Highlands County, Florida.