Police Department Partially Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Dekalbci Township Police

Dekalb, Illinois

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference's DeKalb County Public Safety page lists one encrypted talkgroup for the DeKalb city police, "125 T Enc DeKalbCi PD Inv Police: Investigations", while "51 T DeKalbCi Police Police: Dispatch" — flagged as carried on a live feed — remains in the clear; the agency name on our page is a mis-parse of RadioReference's "DeKalbCi" alpha tag, which means DeKalb City, not a township.

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09: 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 AES-256
Scope Some talkgroups encrypted; dispatch audible per verification
Technical Details Inferred from RadioReference

Dekalb County Context

Dekalb County is a mixed picture: 1 of 2 agencies we track here are fully encrypted (50%), which means some neighboring departments are still audible on a scanner.

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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dekalbci Township Police radio encrypted?

Yes. Dekalbci Township Police uses 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 Dekalbci Township Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Dekalbci Township 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 Dekalbci Township Police encrypt their radio?

Agencies cite officer safety and operational security. Those are assertions rather than findings — no local evidence is typically produced — while the effects are concrete and land straight away on anyone who relied on hearing Dekalbci Township Police to know what was happening nearby.

Can Dekalb County reverse the encryption decision?

Nothing technical prevents it. Dekalbci Township 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 Dekalbci Township Police encryption?

Put the question to whoever signs off on Dekalbci Township Police's radio budget: why full encryption rather than a delayed feed or tactical-only channels? File for the recordings and the decision documents alongside it, and link up with neighbours and local reporters in Dekalb County so the ask arrives as a group rather than a one-off.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09 — see "How we verified this" above. Encryption status changes; confirm at RadioReference before relying on it.

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