Burleigh County Sheriff's Dept.
Burleigh, North Dakota
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference lists all six Burleigh County sheriff talkgroups on the state SIRN system as encrypted, beginning with "8101 | T Enc | BRLH SO 1 MAIN | Sheriff 1 Main | Law Dispatch", and the county's conventional sheriff repeaters are likewise marked P25E.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
Burleigh County Context
Burleigh County Sheriff's Dept. isn't an outlier here: 3 of the 4 public-safety agencies we track in Burleigh County are fully encrypted (75%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Burleigh County → County encryption overview →
What This Means
All traffic, including the day-to-day dispatch that used to be the public's window into police activity, now runs encrypted. Nothing from this department is receivable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burleigh County Sheriff's Dept. radio encrypted?
Yes — Burleigh County Sheriff's Dept.'s radio system runs on P25 DES-OFB encryption. All traffic, including the day-to-day dispatch that used to be the public's window into police activity, now runs encrypted. Nothing from this department is receivable.
Can I listen to Burleigh County Sheriff's Dept. on a police scanner?
No. Burleigh County Sheriff's Dept. has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 DES-OFB. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Burleigh County Sheriff's Dept. encrypt their radio?
Officer safety and operational security are the reasons agencies give. What rarely comes with that explanation is Burleigh County-specific evidence that open communications ever caused a problem, while the loss of public oversight and the friction with still-unencrypted neighboring agencies are both immediate and real.
Can Burleigh County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes. Whoever made this call for Burleigh County Sheriff's Dept. 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 Burleigh County Sheriff's Dept. encryption?
Start local: show up when Burleigh County officials discuss the budget for Burleigh County Sheriff's Dept., and ask specifically why full encryption was chosen over a delayed feed or tactical-only approach. File a FOIA request for recordings or policy documents, and connect with others nearby who want the same information — a coordinated ask carries more weight than an individual one.