Police Department Partially Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Roseland Township Police

Essex, New Jersey

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference's NJICS listing shows the combined Roseland police and EMS dispatch talkgroup in the clear and active on Broadcastify Calls, with only the Roseland PD tactical talkgroup flagged fully encrypted.

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

Essex County Context

Essex County is a mixed picture: 4 of 11 agencies we track here are fully encrypted (36%), which means some neighboring departments are still audible on a scanner.

What This Means

This is a split system: certain talkgroups are encrypted while others remain in the clear, which means partial monitoring is still possible.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Roseland Township Police radio encrypted?

Yes — Roseland Township Police's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 encryption. This is a split system: certain talkgroups are encrypted while others remain in the clear, which means partial monitoring is still possible.

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

Partially. Roseland 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 Roseland Township Police encrypt their radio?

Departments typically point to officer safety and operational security. Neither claim tends to come with evidence specific to Essex County; what's verifiable is what's lost — journalists can't monitor police department activity in real time, and coordination with agencies that stay unencrypted gets harder.

Can Essex County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes. Whoever made this call for Roseland Township Police can also unmake it; there's no technical lock-in. The approach that has worked elsewhere combines public-records requests, direct council pressure, and a coordinated local coalition.

What can I do about Roseland Township Police encryption?

Ask for the paperwork first — the policy that authorised encryption for Roseland Township Police, and the recordings themselves — because a specific request is harder to wave away than a general complaint. Then take what you learn to a council meeting, and bring others from Essex County with you.

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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