University City Police
St. Louis, Missouri
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference lists all three University City police talkgroups on the St. Louis Area Trunked Emergency Radio (SLATER) system as encrypted — "D Enc | Univ City Police | Police: Dispatch - Primary", "UC Police Supprt" and "UC Police 55696 | Police: Operations" — while the city's fire admin, city and public-works channels remain plain "D" in the clear.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
St. Louis County Context
University City Police isn't an outlier here: 31 of the 32 public-safety agencies we track in St. Louis County are fully encrypted (97%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in St. Louis County → County encryption overview →
What This Means
All traffic, including the day-to-day dispatch that used to be the public's window into police activity, now runs encrypted. Nothing from this department is receivable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is University City Police radio encrypted?
Yes. University City Police uses P25 ADP encryption. All traffic, including the day-to-day dispatch that used to be the public's window into police activity, now runs encrypted. Nothing from this department is receivable.
Can I listen to University City Police on a police scanner?
No. University City Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 ADP. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did University City 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 St. Louis County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision St. Louis 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 University City Police encryption?
File a FOIA request for University City Police's radio recordings and encryption-decision paperwork, then show up to speak at a council or commission meeting. Find other residents or journalists in St. Louis County who want the same access — state legislation requiring public radio access is the longer-term fix, but organized local pressure is what usually moves the needle first.