Police Department Tactical Only

Michigan State Police

Statewide, Michigan

How we verified this

RR DB State Police Statewide category shows ESU (ESCALL/ESTRAIN/ESUTAC), Governor security (GOV1/GOV2), and narcotics (NETN1-9) talkgroups as D Enc while district operations and emergency all-call remain clear, matching the tactical-only encryption claim.

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-01: 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 DES-OFB
Scope ESU, Narcotics, Governor Security Detail, CID, Tactical
Technical Details P25 DES-OFB

What This Means

Only the tactical side is closed. SWAT callouts and sensitive operations are encrypted; ordinary calls for service may still reach a scanner.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Michigan State Police radio encrypted?

Yes. Michigan State Police uses P25 DES-OFB encryption. Only the tactical side is closed. SWAT callouts and sensitive operations are encrypted; ordinary calls for service may still reach a scanner.

Can I listen to Michigan State Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Michigan State Police encrypts its tactical channels, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why did Michigan State 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 Statewide County reverse the encryption decision?

It can. The radios support open and encrypted operation equally well, so this is a configuration and a policy, not a constraint — and policies set by Statewide County officials are policies those officials can revisit when constituents press for it.

What can I do about Michigan State Police encryption?

Put the question to whoever signs off on Michigan State 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 Statewide County so the ask arrives as a group rather than a one-off.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-01 — see "How we verified this" above. Encryption status changes; confirm at RadioReference before relying on it.

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