Police Department Partially Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Clinton Township Police

Clinton, Iowa

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference lists the Clinton, Iowa city police department (not a "township" agency) on ISICS with three clear channels — "23501 | CLINTON PD 1 | Police 1 | T" through Police 3 — and two encrypted ones, "23506 | CLINTON PD 4" and "23507 | CLINTON PD 5", alongside a countywide "23523 | 23 LAW | Law | T Enc".

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

What This Means

Encryption here is a mixed bag: some talkgroups are locked, others aren't. It varies by channel and by 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 Clinton Township Police radio encrypted?

Yes. Clinton Township Police uses P25 AES-256 encryption. Encryption here is a mixed bag: some talkgroups are locked, others aren't. It varies by channel and by what the department is doing at the time.

Can I listen to Clinton Township Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Clinton 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 Clinton Township 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 Clinton County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Clinton 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 Clinton Township Police encryption?

Put the question to whoever signs off on Clinton 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 Clinton 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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