Police Department Partially Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Cornwall Township Police

Orange, New York

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference lists the Cornwall PD Tac talkgroup on the Orange County Public Safety Radio System (OCPSRS) as encrypted ("T Enc"), while the Cornwall PD Dispatch talkgroup remains 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

Orange County Context

Of the 10 public-safety agencies we track in Orange County, Cornwall Township Police is currently the only one we have flagged as encrypted.

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 Cornwall Township Police radio encrypted?

Yes — Cornwall 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 Cornwall Township Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Cornwall 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 Cornwall Township Police encrypt their radio?

Officer safety and operational security are the reasons agencies give. What rarely comes with that explanation is Orange County-specific evidence that open communications ever caused a problem, while the loss of public oversight and the friction with still-unencrypted neighboring agencies are both immediate and real.

Can Orange County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes. Whoever made this call for Cornwall 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 Cornwall Township Police encryption?

Ask for the paperwork first — the policy that authorised encryption for Cornwall 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 Orange 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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