Sheriff's Office Partially Encrypted

DuPage County Sheriff's Office

DuPage, Illinois

How we verified this

RR DuPage County DB page states all sheriff talkgroups (DPSO dispatch TGs 2619/2620 etc.) 'appear to be encrypted as of 7/7/26', and a RR DB admin confirmed on 7/7/26 that all DuPage Sheriff and PD STARCOM21 dispatch talkgroups are now encrypted full-time — the batch's 'all except dispatch' scope is outdated.

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 AES-256
Scope All Operations Except Dispatch
Technical Details P25 AES-256

Verified Talkgroup Data

Verified Aug 1, 2026
0 Total Talkgroups
0 Encrypted
0 Unencrypted
0% Encrypted
Radio System: STARCOM21 Statewide Illinois

DuPage County Context

Of the 3 public-safety agencies we track in DuPage County, DuPage County Sheriff's Office is currently the only one we have flagged as encrypted.

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 DuPage County Sheriff's Office radio encrypted?

Yes. DuPage County Sheriff's Office uses P25 AES-256 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 DuPage County Sheriff's Office on a police scanner?

Partially. DuPage County Sheriff's Office encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why did DuPage County Sheriff's Office encrypt their radio?

The reasons offered are almost always the same two: officer safety and operational security. Whether either was tested against a real DuPage 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 DuPage County reverse the encryption decision?

Nothing technical prevents it. DuPage County Sheriff's Office 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 DuPage County Sheriff's Office encryption?

File a FOIA request for DuPage County Sheriff's Office's radio recordings and encryption-decision paperwork, then show up to speak at a council or commission meeting. Find other residents or journalists in DuPage 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 + RadioReference API (verified)

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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