Police Department Tactical Only

Gurnee Police

Lake, Illinois

What you can do right now

Encryption Details

Encryption Type P25 AES-256
Scope TAC 2, Car to Car, CID
Technical Details P25 Phase II AES-256

Verified Talkgroup Data

Verified Mar 6, 2026 Low confidence
3 Total Talkgroups
1 Encrypted
2 Unencrypted
33% Encrypted
Radio System: STARCOM21 Statewide Illinois
View 1 talkgroup
DEC Alpha Tag Description Status
33322 LakeComm Law 1 LakeComm Dispatch: Law 1 (Gurnee PD) Encrypted

Verification Status

We do have per-talkgroup data for Gurnee Police from the RadioReference API, and used it to set the encryption scope shown above — but no additional human-reviewed source (a live feed check or a dated news account) has been recorded for this record, so treat it as a data-quality correction rather than an independently confirmed verification. Check the live RadioReference database directly for current status.

If you monitor Gurnee Police directly or have more current information, the fastest way to fix this is to update the RadioReference Wiki entry — our data pulls from there and from the RadioReference API on a regular refresh cycle.

Shared Radio System

This page is one of 1 built from the same underlying radio record: police department here shares STARCOM21 Statewide Illinois with 0 other departments in Lake County, so the same traffic and the same encryption status show up on every one of those pages.

Lake County Context

Lake County is a mixed picture: 10 of 30 agencies we track here are fully encrypted (33%), which means some neighboring departments are still audible on a scanner.

What This Means

Our records list only the tactical side as encrypted here, with routine dispatch possibly in the clear. Verify against the live RadioReference database.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gurnee Police radio encrypted?

Our database lists Gurnee Police as using P25 AES-256 encryption, though this listing is unverified. Our records list only the tactical side as encrypted here, with routine dispatch possibly in the clear. Verify against the live RadioReference database.

Can I listen to Gurnee Police on a police scanner?

Possibly. Our database lists Gurnee Police as encrypting its tactical channels, which would leave some channels accessible. The listing is unverified — check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why do agencies like Gurnee Police encrypt their radio?

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

It can. The radios support open and encrypted operation equally well, so this is a configuration and a policy, not a constraint — and policies set by Lake County officials are policies those officials can revisit when constituents press for it.

What can I do about Gurnee Police encryption?

Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Gurnee Police's encryption policy and radio recordings, a turn at the microphone during Lake County budget discussions, and finding the other people locally already asking the same question. Individually these are easy to deflect; together they are not.

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