2 of 4 Suffolk County agencies are fully encrypted
4 public safety agencies in Suffolk County, Massachusetts have encrypted their radio communications.
Radio encryption in Suffolk County
Suffolk County is split evenly between full and partial encryption across four tracked agencies. Boston Police and Northeastern University Police are listed as encrypting all channels with P25 DES-OFB, while Boston Fire encrypts tactical channels and the Mass/Logan International Airport record encrypts specific channels, both with P25 AES-256. One of the four records, the Northeastern University Police entry, is unverified. Scanner coverage remains real: 36 of 58 monitored talkgroups are in the clear against 22 encrypted, across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interoperable Radio System (CoMIRS), the Massachusetts State Police system, the Boston and Essex County system, the OneVoice Network and an Industrial Communications and Electronics Connect Plus system. Tactical fire and airport channels are the selectively closed pieces here rather than everything.
Compiled from this site's agency database. Encryption status changes without notice — confirm any specific agency on RadioReference.
Radio systems serving Suffolk County
- Commonwealth Of Massachusetts Interoperable Radio System (CoMIRS)
- OneVoice Network
- Massachusetts State Police
- Boston and Essex County
- Industrial Communications and Electronics - Connect Plus
Of 58 talkgroups catalogued for Suffolk County, 22 are encrypted and 36 remain in the clear. A scanner can still receive the unencrypted channels.
All 4 Suffolk County records here have been checked against a primary source.
System and talkgroup counts come from this site's agency database and change without notice — confirm current status on RadioReference.
Encryption Technology Used in Suffolk County
Encrypted Agencies in Suffolk County
| Agency Name | Type | Encryption | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Fire ✓ | Fire | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Boston Police ✓ | Police | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
| Mass/Logan International Airport ✓ | Airport | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Northeastern University Police ✓ | Police | P25 DES-OFB | Fully Encrypted |
Related Case Studies
Learn more about police radio encryption issues in Suffolk County and Massachusetts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Suffolk County police radio encrypted?
2 of 4 agencies in Suffolk County, Massachusetts are fully encrypted (50%), while 2 have partial encryption.
How many police departments in Suffolk County are encrypted?
2 police departments in Suffolk County have implemented some level of encryption, along with 0 sheriff offices, 1 fire departments, and 0 EMS agencies.
What encryption technology does Suffolk County use?
The most common encryption type in Suffolk County is P25 AES-256, used by agencies for secure communications. This encryption blocks public scanner monitoring.
Fight Encryption in Suffolk County
Join the movement to restore transparency to public safety communications in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.