Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
Statewide, Michigan
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference's MPSCS page lists two encrypted ATF talkgroups in the Detroit region — "12093 D Enc ATFETAC2 ATFE Detroit Region Tactical 2" and "2190 D Enc ATFELP1 ATFE Detroit Region: Lower Peninsula" — while "12092 D ATFETAC1 ATFE Detroit Region Tactical 1" and the Flint field-office and Upper Peninsula talkgroups are listed in the clear.
Encryption Details
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms radio encrypted?
Yes. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on a police scanner?
Partially. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms encrypt their radio?
Agencies cite officer safety and operational security. Those are assertions rather than findings — no local evidence is typically produced — while the effects are concrete and land straight away on anyone who relied on hearing Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to know what was happening nearby.
Can Statewide County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Statewide 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms encryption?
Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms's encryption policy and radio recordings, a turn at the microphone during Statewide County budget discussions, and finding the other people locally already asking the same question. Individually these are easy to deflect; together they are not.