Clifton Township Police
Passaic, New Jersey
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference's NJICS listing flags all three Clifton police talkgroups — dispatch, operations/alternate dispatch and detectives — as fully encrypted, while the Passaic countywide interop talkgroup remains in the clear.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
View 3 talkgroups
| DEC | Alpha Tag | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5091 | Clifton PD Disp | Clifton PD Dispatch | Encrypted |
| 5093 | Clifton PD Ops | Clifton PD Ops/Alt Dispatch | Encrypted |
| 5095 | Clifton PD Detec | Clifton PD Detectives | Encrypted |
Passaic County Context
Clifton Township Police 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
Every channel this agency runs, including day-to-day dispatch, is encrypted. That shuts out the public and local reporters, and it can complicate coordination with nearby agencies that still expect to hear it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Clifton Township Police radio encrypted?
Yes. Clifton Township Police uses P25 AES-256 encryption. Every channel this agency runs, including day-to-day dispatch, is encrypted. That shuts out the public and local reporters, and it can complicate coordination with nearby agencies that still expect to hear it.
Can I listen to Clifton Township Police on a police scanner?
No. Clifton Township Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Clifton Township Police encrypt their radio?
The reasons offered are almost always the same two: officer safety and operational security. Whether either was tested against a real Passaic County incident is rarely part of the public record, whereas the consequences are easy to observe — no real-time accountability, and neighbouring agencies still in the clear left working around the gap.
Can Passaic County reverse the encryption decision?
Nothing technical prevents it. Clifton Township Police operates encrypted because someone decided it should, and decisions of that kind get revisited when councils hear sustained, organised pressure rather than isolated complaints.
What can I do about Clifton Township Police encryption?
Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Clifton Township Police'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.