Sheriff's Office Partially Encrypted

Monroe County Law

Monroe, Illinois

What you can do right now

My city went dark — now what? Step-by-step guide for residents of newly encrypted areas. What you can still monitor Fire, EMS, and surrounding-jurisdiction channels often remain open. Request the recordings FOIA templates for Monroe County Law radio archives. Reverse the decision Tactics from cities that successfully reversed police encryption.

Encryption Details

Encryption Type P25 AES-256
Scope Some talkgroups encrypted (11.5% per RadioReference data); others remain in the clear.
Technical Details P25 AES-256

Verified Talkgroup Data

Verified Mar 6, 2026 Moderate confidence
13 Total Talkgroups
1 Encrypted
1 Mixed
11 Unencrypted
12% Encrypted
Radio System: STARCOM21 Statewide Illinois
View 2 talkgroups
DEC Alpha Tag Description Status
8418 Monroe Law Sec Law: Secure Encrypted
29006 Monroe EMS 29006 Monroe County EMS: Paging/Dispatch Mixed

Verification Status

We do have per-talkgroup data for Monroe County Law 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 Monroe County Law 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

Worth knowing before reading this as specific to Monroe County Law: STARCOM21 Statewide Illinois is shared county-wide or regional infrastructure, also used by 0 other agencies in Monroe County — one radio system, several agency pages.

What This Means

This agency is listed as encrypting some communications while leaving others open. The per-channel breakdown is unverified — check RadioReference for current status.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Monroe County Law radio encrypted?

Monroe County Law is listed in our records with P25 AES-256 encryption — a listing we haven't yet verified against live talkgroup data. This agency is listed as encrypting some communications while leaving others open. The per-channel breakdown is unverified — check RadioReference for current status.

Can I listen to Monroe County Law on a police scanner?

Possibly. Our database lists Monroe County Law as encrypting some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, which would leave some channels accessible. The listing is unverified — check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why do agencies like Monroe County Law encrypt their radio?

Officer safety and operational security are the reasons agencies give. What rarely comes with that explanation is Monroe County-specific evidence that open communications ever caused a problem, while the loss of public oversight and the friction with still-unencrypted neighboring agencies are both immediate and real.

Can Monroe County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes. Whoever made this call for Monroe County Law can also unmake it; there's no technical lock-in. The approach that has worked elsewhere combines public-records requests, direct council pressure, and a coordinated local coalition.

What can I do about Monroe County Law encryption?

Contact the officials who oversee Monroe County Law's budget directly and ask why full encryption was chosen over partial alternatives. Pair that with a FOIA request for recordings and policy records, and look for an existing coalition in Monroe County, or start one, since agencies respond differently to organized, sustained pressure than to individual complaints.

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