Sheriff's Office In the Clear — Verified 2026-08-01

Miami County Sheriff

Mercer, Ohio

How we verified this

The live 'Miami County Police, Fire and EMS - Central' Broadcastify feed broadcasts all Miami County 911 dispatch including talkgroups '55LE-1 Law Enforcement Dispatch / Ops 1' and '55LE-2 Law Enforcement Dispatch / Ops 2', contradicting the claim that Ops 2 is fully encrypted; also note the input county 'Mercer' is wrong — Miami County, Ohio is its own county.

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-01: broadcastify.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 Ops 2
Technical Details P25 AES-256

Mercer County Context

Mercer County is a mixed picture: 1 of 2 agencies we track here are fully encrypted (50%), which means some neighboring departments are still audible on a scanner.

What This Means

This agency was previously listed as encrypted, but verification against live sources on 2026-08-01 found its dispatch broadcasting in the clear. Any P25-capable scanner can receive it — confirm current status on the live RadioReference database, since encryption decisions can change.

See encryption status nationwide Interactive map showing which US police departments have encrypted their radios. Open the encryption map →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Miami County Sheriff radio encrypted?

No. Despite earlier listings, Miami County Sheriff broadcasts in the clear. This agency was previously listed as encrypted, but verification against live sources on 2026-08-01 found its dispatch broadcasting in the clear. Any P25-capable scanner can receive it — confirm current status on the live RadioReference database, since encryption decisions can change.

Can I listen to Miami County Sheriff on a police scanner?

Yes. Verification against live sources found Miami County Sheriff's dispatch broadcasting in the clear — any P25-capable scanner can receive it. Check RadioReference for frequencies and current status.

Why do agencies like Miami County Sheriff encrypt their radio?

Officer safety and operational security are the reasons agencies give. What rarely comes with that explanation is Mercer 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 Mercer County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes. Whoever made this call for Miami County Sheriff 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 Miami County Sheriff encryption?

Ask for the paperwork first — the policy that authorised encryption for Miami County Sheriff, and the recordings themselves — because a specific request is harder to wave away than a general complaint. Then take what you learn to a council meeting, and bring others from Mercer County with you.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-01 — see "How we verified this" above. Encryption status changes; confirm at RadioReference before relying on it.

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