Police Department Partially Encrypted Discovered via RadioReference

Wallkill Township Police

Orange, New York

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference lists the Wallkill PD Tac talkgroup on the Orange County Public Safety Radio System (OCPSRS) as encrypted ("T Enc"), while the Wallkill 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, Wallkill Township Police is currently the only one we have flagged as encrypted.

What This Means

Some of this agency's traffic is encrypted and some is not. What you can hear depends on the channel and on 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 Wallkill Township Police radio encrypted?

Yes — Wallkill Township Police's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 encryption. Some of this agency's traffic is encrypted and some is not. What you can hear depends on the channel and on what the department is doing at the time.

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

Partially. Wallkill 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 Wallkill 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 Orange 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 Orange County reverse the encryption decision?

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

Contact the officials who oversee Wallkill 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 Orange 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.

Advertisement