Police Department Partially Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Haledon Township Police

Passaic, New Jersey

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference's NJICS listing flags the Haledon police dispatch talkgroup and Haledon PD Channel 3 as fully encrypted, while the Haledon PD tactical talkgroup and the borough's two fire talkgroups remain in the clear.

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09: 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 AES-256
Scope Some talkgroups encrypted; dispatch audible per verification
Technical Details Inferred from RadioReference

Passaic County Context

Haledon 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.

What This Means

This agency encrypts some of its communications while leaving others open. Which channels are affected depends on the operation.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Haledon Township Police radio encrypted?

Yes. Haledon Township Police uses P25 AES-256 encryption. This agency encrypts some of its communications while leaving others open. Which channels are affected depends on the operation.

Can I listen to Haledon Township Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Haledon Township Police encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why did Haledon Township 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 Passaic County reverse the encryption decision?

Nothing technical prevents it. Haledon 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 Haledon Township Police encryption?

Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Haledon 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.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09 — see "How we verified this" above. Encryption status changes; confirm at RadioReference before relying on it.

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