Other Agency Partially Encrypted

SBI

Statewide, North Carolina

How we verified this

As of August 2026 the State Bureau of Investigation's surveillance and special-response talkgroups on VIPER carry "D Enc" — "SBISURV1 | SBI Surveillance 1" through SURV4, "NCSBISRTSW | SBI SRT Statewide" and "SBIADMIN | SBI Admin" — while "SBI PRI | SBI Primary" (tagged Law Dispatch), "SBI SEC | SBI Secondary" and the SBI Common talkgroups are plain "D".

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

My city went dark — now what? Step-by-step guide for residents of newly encrypted areas. What you can still monitor Fire, EMS, and surrounding-jurisdiction channels often remain open. Request the recordings FOIA templates for SBI radio archives. Reverse the decision Tactics from cities that successfully reversed police encryption.

Encryption Details

Encryption Type P25 DES-OFB
Scope Some talkgroups encrypted; dispatch audible per verification
Technical Details DES-OFB

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 →

Other Agencies in Statewide

Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives
P25 AES-256
Drug Enforcement Agency
P25 AES-256
United States Forest Service
P25 AES-256
Wildlife Resources Commission
Unknown

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SBI radio encrypted?

Yes — SBI's radio system runs on P25 DES-OFB 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 SBI on a police scanner?

Partially. SBI encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why did SBI encrypt their radio?

Departments typically point to officer safety and operational security. Neither claim tends to come with evidence specific to Statewide County; what's verifiable is what's lost — journalists can't monitor other agency activity in real time, and coordination with agencies that stay unencrypted gets harder.

Can Statewide County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes. Whoever made this call for SBI 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 SBI encryption?

Contact the officials who oversee SBI'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 Statewide 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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