Granite City Police
Madison, Illinois
How we verified this
RR Madison County DB page shows Granite City PD on STARCOM21 talkgroups 7921-7925 with 'Dispatch encrypted as of 7/24/26' — contradicting the batch's claim that dispatch is in the clear; encryption status of the remaining talkgroups was not stated, so scope beyond dispatch is unconfirmed.
Encryption Details
Madison County Context
Madison County is a mixed picture: 1 of 7 agencies we track here are fully encrypted (14%), which means some neighboring departments are still audible on a scanner.
See every agency we track in Madison County → County encryption overview →
What This Means
Particular talkgroups are encrypted rather than the whole system, so channels outside that subset may still be monitored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Granite City Police radio encrypted?
Yes. Granite City Police uses P25 AES-256 encryption. Particular talkgroups are encrypted rather than the whole system, so channels outside that subset may still be monitored.
Can I listen to Granite City Police on a police scanner?
Partially. Granite City Police encrypts specific talkgroups rather than the whole system, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Granite City 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 Madison County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Madison County officials made and can revisit, and other communities have pushed departments back toward open channels through sustained council pressure and coalition-building.
What can I do about Granite City Police encryption?
Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Granite City Police's encryption policy and radio recordings, a turn at the microphone during Madison County budget discussions, and finding the other people locally already asking the same question. Individually these are easy to deflect; together they are not.