Beardstown Police
Cass, Illinois
How we verified this
RadioReference Cass County wiki lists Beardstown law dispatch on the county NXDN system (151.0925, mode NXDN48e) with dated notes: mobiles not encrypted 6/26/17, mobiles heard encrypted 3/6/18 — observation dates, not a stated effective date.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
Cass County Context
Beardstown Police isn't an outlier here: 3 of the 3 public-safety agencies we track in Cass County are fully encrypted (100%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Cass County → County encryption overview →
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 Beardstown Police radio encrypted?
Yes — Beardstown Police's radio system runs on NXDN 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 Beardstown Police on a police scanner?
No. Beardstown Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using NXDN. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Beardstown Police encrypt their radio?
Officer safety and operational security are the reasons agencies give. What rarely comes with that explanation is Cass County-specific evidence that open communications ever caused a problem, while the loss of public oversight and the friction with still-unencrypted neighboring agencies are both immediate and real.
Can Cass County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes. Encryption is a policy choice made by department leadership or elected officials, not a technical requirement, so it can be reversed the same way. Public pressure, city council advocacy, and organized local coalitions have reversed encryption decisions elsewhere.
What can I do about Beardstown Police encryption?
Contact the officials who oversee Beardstown Police'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 Cass County, or start one, since agencies respond differently to organized, sustained pressure than to individual complaints.