1 of 18 Albany County agencies are fully encrypted
18 public safety agencies in Albany County, New York have encrypted their radio communications.
Radio systems serving Albany County
- OneVoice Network
- Albany/Schenectady Counties
- Capital Digitronics (Capital District Public Safety)
Of 153 talkgroups catalogued for Albany County, 29 are encrypted and 120 remain in the clear. A scanner can still receive the unencrypted channels.
12 of 18 records here have been checked against a primary source; 6 have not.
System and talkgroup counts come from this site's agency database and change without notice — confirm current status on RadioReference.
Encryption Technology Used in Albany County
Encrypted Agencies in Albany County
| Agency Name | Type | Encryption | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany County Fire/EMS ✓ | Fire | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Albany County Sheriff's Office ✓ | Sheriff | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Albany County Interoperability | Sheriff | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Albany City Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Bethlehem Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Belthleham EMS ✓ | Ems | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Cohoes Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Colonie Fire/EMS ✓ | Fire | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Colonie Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Guilderland EMS ✓ | Ems | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Guilderland Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Green Island Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services ✓ | Federal | P25 AES-256 | Fully Encrypted |
| SUNY Albany ✓ | Other | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Watervliet Arsenal | Other | P25 AES-256 | Specific Channels |
| Watervliet Police Department | Police | P25 AES-256 | Tactical Only |
| Colonie Township Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
| Bethlehem Township Police | Police | P25 AES-256 | Partially Encrypted |
Related Case Studies
Learn more about police radio encryption issues in New York.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Albany County police radio encrypted?
1 of 18 agencies in Albany County, New York are fully encrypted (6%), while 17 have partial encryption.
Can I listen to Albany County Sheriff on a scanner?
The Albany County Sheriff's Office has encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. Scanner monitoring of sheriff operations is no longer possible.
How many police departments in Albany County are encrypted?
9 police departments in Albany County have implemented some level of encryption, along with 2 sheriff offices, 2 fire departments, and 2 EMS agencies.
What encryption technology does Albany County use?
The most common encryption type in Albany County is P25 AES-256, used by agencies for secure communications. This encryption blocks public scanner monitoring.
Fight Encryption in Albany County
Join the movement to restore transparency to public safety communications in Albany County, New York.