Clifton Police Department
Passaic, New Jersey
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
View 2 talkgroups
| DEC | Alpha Tag | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5091 | Clifton PD Disp | Clifton PD Dispatch | Encrypted |
| 5093 | Clifton PD Ops | Clifton PD Ops/Alt Dispatch | Encrypted |
Verification Status
We don't yet have per-talkgroup data for Clifton Police Department from the RadioReference API. The encryption scope and type above come from the RadioReference Wiki, which is community-maintained rather than independently confirmed channel-by-channel. Our automated matching put this at low confidence (50%) based on how closely the wiki listing matches this agency's name and county.
If you monitor Clifton Police Department directly or have more current information, the fastest way to fix this is to update the RadioReference Wiki entry — our data pulls from there and from the RadioReference API on a regular refresh cycle.
Passaic County Context
Clifton Police Department isn't an outlier here: 4 of the 6 public-safety agencies we track in Passaic County are fully encrypted (67%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Passaic County → County encryption overview →
What This Means
Our records list every channel this agency runs as encrypted, including day-to-day dispatch. That listing hasn't been verified against live talkgroup data, so confirm it at RadioReference before relying on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Clifton Police Department radio encrypted?
Our database lists Clifton Police Department as using P25 AES-256 encryption, though this listing is unverified. Our records list every channel this agency runs as encrypted, including day-to-day dispatch. That listing hasn't been verified against live talkgroup data, so confirm it at RadioReference before relying on it.
Can I listen to Clifton Police Department on a police scanner?
Likely not, if the listing is accurate: our database lists Clifton Police Department as fully encrypted using P25 AES-256, which no consumer scanner can decode. The listing is unverified — check the live RadioReference database for current status.
Why do agencies like Clifton Police Department 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 Passaic County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Passaic 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 Clifton Police Department encryption?
Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Clifton Police Department's encryption policy and radio recordings, a turn at the microphone during Passaic County budget discussions, and finding the other people locally already asking the same question. Individually these are easy to deflect; together they are not.