Police Department Partially Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Scarsdale Township Police

Westchester, New York

How we verified this

As of August 2026 Scarsdale police dispatch is in the clear on RadioReference's "Metro-25/MTA MRRS" system — "9565 | Scarsdale PD/EMS | Police/EMS Dispatch" and "9566 | Scarsdale PD Tac | Police Tac" are mode "T" — while "9567 | Scarsdale PD Sec | Police Secure" is marked "T Enc"; the agency is a village department, not a township.

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

Westchester County Context

Westchester County is a mixed picture: 2 of 5 agencies we track here are fully encrypted (40%), which means some neighboring departments are still audible on a scanner.

What This Means

Encryption here is a mixed bag: some talkgroups are locked, others aren't. It varies by channel and by what the department is doing at the time.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Scarsdale Township Police radio encrypted?

Yes — Scarsdale Township Police's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 encryption. Encryption here is a mixed bag: some talkgroups are locked, others aren't. It varies by channel and by what the department is doing at the time.

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

Partially. Scarsdale 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 Scarsdale Township Police encrypt their radio?

Ask why, and the answer is usually officer safety, sometimes operational security. What is harder to obtain is any documented case in Westchester County where an open channel caused harm. The costs need no such documentation: reporting on police department response slows down, and mutual-aid coordination gets more awkward, immediately.

Can Westchester 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 Scarsdale Township Police encryption?

Contact the officials who oversee Scarsdale 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 Westchester County, or start one, since agencies respond differently to organized, sustained pressure than to individual complaints.

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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