Police Department Partially Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Niagara Falls Police

Niagara, New York

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference lists five Niagara Falls police talkgroups on the Niagara County Public Safety System — Tac, CID, NID, TRA and ERT — as encrypted ("D Enc"), while the NF 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

Niagara County Context

Of the 3 public-safety agencies we track in Niagara County, Niagara Falls Police is currently the only one we have flagged as encrypted.

What This Means

Coverage here is uneven — parts of the system are locked and parts are open, so a scanner gives you an incomplete rather than an empty picture.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Niagara Falls Police radio encrypted?

Yes. Niagara Falls Police uses P25 AES-256 encryption. Coverage here is uneven — parts of the system are locked and parts are open, so a scanner gives you an incomplete rather than an empty picture.

Can I listen to Niagara Falls Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Niagara Falls 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 Niagara Falls Police encrypt their radio?

Agencies cite officer safety and operational security. Those are assertions rather than findings — no local evidence is typically produced — while the effects are concrete and land straight away on anyone who relied on hearing Niagara Falls Police to know what was happening nearby.

Can Niagara County reverse the encryption decision?

It can. The radios support open and encrypted operation equally well, so this is a configuration and a policy, not a constraint — and policies set by Niagara County officials are policies those officials can revisit when constituents press for it.

What can I do about Niagara Falls Police encryption?

Put the question to whoever signs off on Niagara Falls Police's radio budget: why full encryption rather than a delayed feed or tactical-only channels? File for the recordings and the decision documents alongside it, and link up with neighbours and local reporters in Niagara County so the ask arrives as a group rather than a one-off.

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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