Police Department Partially Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Walden Township Police

Orange, New York

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference lists the Walden PD Tac talkgroup on the Orange County Public Safety Radio System (OCPSRS) as encrypted ("T Enc"), while the Walden 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, Walden 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 Walden Township Police radio encrypted?

Yes. Walden Township Police uses 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 Walden Township Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Walden 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 Walden Township 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 Walden Township Police to know what was happening nearby.

Can Orange County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Orange County officials made and can revisit, and other communities have pushed departments back toward open channels through sustained council pressure and coalition-building.

What can I do about Walden Township Police encryption?

File a FOIA request for Walden Township Police's radio recordings and encryption-decision paperwork, then show up to speak at a council or commission meeting. Find other residents or journalists in Orange County who want the same access — state legislation requiring public radio access is the longer-term fix, but organized local pressure is what usually moves the needle first.

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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