Minot Police Dept.
Ward, North Dakota
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference shows Minot Police main dispatch still in the clear — "51114 | T | MINOT PD MAIN 1 | City of Minot Police Dept Main 1 | Law Dispatch" — while the department's Ops 1 through 3, SWAT and special-operations talkgroups are all listed T Enc.
Encryption Details
Ward County Context
Minot Police Dept. isn't an outlier here: 3 of the 4 public-safety agencies we track in Ward County are fully encrypted (75%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Ward County → County encryption overview →
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Minot Police Dept. radio encrypted?
Yes — Minot Police Dept.'s radio system runs on P25 DES-OFB 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 Minot Police Dept. on a police scanner?
Partially. Minot Police Dept. encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Minot Police Dept. encrypt their radio?
Officer safety and operational security are the reasons agencies give. What rarely comes with that explanation is Ward 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 Ward County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes, and some departments already have. Because encryption here is a choice rather than a technical necessity, the path back runs through the same people who chose it: budget hearings, records requests, and residents who keep asking in public.
What can I do about Minot Police Dept. encryption?
Contact the officials who oversee Minot Police Dept.'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 Ward County, or start one, since agencies respond differently to organized, sustained pressure than to individual complaints.