Police Department Fully Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Trenton Township Police

Mercer, New Jersey

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference lists a single Trenton Police talkgroup on the Mercer County system and flags it as fully encrypted, with no Trenton police channel listed in the clear, while all of Trenton's fire and city-services talkgroups remain unencrypted.

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 Discovered via RadioReference (15 encrypted talkgroups)
Technical Details Inferred from RadioReference

Verified Talkgroup Data

Verified Aug 9, 2026 Low confidence
15 Total Talkgroups
15 Encrypted
0 Unencrypted
100% Encrypted
Radio System: New Jersey Interoperability Communications System (NJICS), Mercer County Interoperable Public Safety Radio System
View 15 talkgroups
DEC Alpha Tag Description Status
5329 Trenton PD 1 Trenton PD 1 Encrypted
5331 Trenton PD 2 Trenton PD 2 Encrypted
5333 Trenton PD 3 Trenton PD 3 Encrypted
5335 Trenton PD 4 Trenton PD 4 Encrypted
5337 Trenton PD 5 Trenton PD 5 Encrypted
5339 Trenton PD 6 Trenton PD 6 Encrypted
5341 Trenton PD 7 Trenton PD 7 Encrypted
5343 Trenton PD 8 Trenton PD 8 Encrypted
5345 Trenton PD 9 Trenton PD 9 Encrypted
5347 Trenton PD 10 Trenton PD 10 Encrypted
5349 Trenton PD 11 Trenton PD 11 Encrypted
5351 Trenton PD 12 Trenton PD 12 Encrypted
5353 Trenton PD 13 Trenton PD 13 Encrypted
5355 Trenton PD 14 Trenton PD 14 Encrypted
5357 Trenton PD 15 Trenton PD 15 Encrypted

Mercer County Context

Trenton Township Police isn't an outlier here: 2 of the 3 public-safety agencies we track in Mercer County are fully encrypted (67%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.

What This Means

This agency encrypts all of its radio communications, including routine dispatch. The public, journalists, and even other first responders can't monitor its activity.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Trenton Township Police radio encrypted?

Yes — Trenton Township Police's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 encryption. This agency encrypts all of its radio communications, including routine dispatch. The public, journalists, and even other first responders can't monitor its activity.

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

No. Trenton Township Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.

Why did Trenton Township Police encrypt their radio?

Departments typically point to officer safety and operational security. Neither claim tends to come with evidence specific to Mercer 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 Mercer County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes. Encryption is a policy choice made by department leadership or elected officials, not a technical requirement, so it can be reversed the same way. Public pressure, city council advocacy, and organized local coalitions have reversed encryption decisions elsewhere.

What can I do about Trenton Township Police encryption?

Contact the officials who oversee Trenton Township Police's budget directly and ask why full encryption was chosen over partial alternatives. Pair that with a FOIA request for recordings and policy records, and look for an existing coalition in Mercer County, or start one, since agencies respond differently to organized, sustained pressure than to individual complaints.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki + RadioReference API (verified)

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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