Police Department Partially Encrypted

Bolingbrook Police

Will, Illinois

How we verified this

RR DB WESCOM talkgroup listing shows Bolingbrook PD Dispatch TG 33931 and Tac51 TG 33932 encrypted, while Tac52, Detectives, and Local talkgroups are not encrypted — dispatch encrypted but not all operations; the DB page did not state the ADP algorithm claimed in the listing.

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-01: radioreference.com . Encryption status changes without notice — confirm the current picture on the live RadioReference database before relying on it.

What you can do right now

Encryption Details

Encryption Type P25 ADP
Scope Some talkgroups encrypted; dispatch audible per verification
Technical Details P25 ADP

Will County Context

Bolingbrook Police isn't an outlier here: 4 of the 5 public-safety agencies we track in Will County are fully encrypted (80%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.

What This Means

Some of this agency's traffic is encrypted and some is not. What you can hear depends on the channel and on what the department is doing at the time.

See encryption status nationwide Interactive map showing which US police departments have encrypted their radios. Open the encryption map →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bolingbrook Police radio encrypted?

Yes. Bolingbrook Police uses P25 ADP encryption. Some of this agency's traffic is encrypted and some is not. What you can hear depends on the channel and on what the department is doing at the time.

Can I listen to Bolingbrook Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Bolingbrook Police encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why did Bolingbrook Police encrypt their radio?

The standard justification nationwide is officer safety and operational security, regardless of whether a documented local incident ever required it. The tradeoff that follows is consistent too: public oversight drops, and reporters lose the ability to track police department response as it happens.

Can Will County reverse the encryption decision?

Nothing technical prevents it. Bolingbrook Police 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 Bolingbrook Police encryption?

File a FOIA request for Bolingbrook Police's radio recordings and encryption-decision paperwork, then show up to speak at a council or commission meeting. Find other residents or journalists in Will County who want the same access — state legislation requiring public radio access is the longer-term fix, but organized local pressure is what usually moves the needle first.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-01 — see "How we verified this" above. Encryption status changes; confirm at RadioReference before relying on it.

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