Maryland Department of Information Technology
Statewide, Maryland
How we verified this
As of August 2026 the Maryland DoIT radio-technician talkgroups on the First Responders Interoperable Radio System Team (FIRST) are mostly encrypted — "8518 DOIT Evt Interop — Radio Techs Event Interop — T Enc" and "8561-8568 FIRST Admin1-8 — T enc" — with one exception still in the clear, "8592 FIRST RadTech — Radio Techs — T".
Encryption Details
What This Means
A defined subset of this agency's channels is encrypted. The rest of the system continues to operate in the clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maryland Department of Information Technology radio encrypted?
Yes. Maryland Department of Information Technology uses P25 AES-256 encryption. A defined subset of this agency's channels is encrypted. The rest of the system continues to operate in the clear.
Can I listen to Maryland Department of Information Technology on a police scanner?
Partially. Maryland Department of Information Technology encrypts specific talkgroups rather than the whole system, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Maryland Department of Information Technology 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 state agency response as it happens.
Can Statewide County reverse the encryption decision?
Nothing technical prevents it. Maryland Department of Information Technology 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 Maryland Department of Information Technology encryption?
Put the question to whoever signs off on Maryland Department of Information Technology'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 Statewide County so the ask arrives as a group rather than a one-off.