Police Department Partially Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Tenafly Township Police

Bergen, New Jersey

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference's NJICS listing shows Tenafly PD 1, the dispatch talkgroup, in the clear and active on Broadcastify Calls, with only Tenafly PD 2 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

Bergen County Context

Tenafly Township Police isn't an outlier here: 5 of the 8 public-safety agencies we track in Bergen County are fully encrypted (63%), 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 Tenafly Township Police radio encrypted?

Yes. Tenafly 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 Tenafly Township Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Tenafly 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 Tenafly 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 Bergen County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Bergen 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 Tenafly Township Police encryption?

File a FOIA request for Tenafly Township 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 Bergen 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.

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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