Akron Borough Police
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
How we verified this
LCWC's official radio-system page states law enforcement talkgroup audio is encrypted countywide (ordered by county commissioners per lancasteronline), and RR sid/7641 lists a dedicated Akron PD talkgroup (PD72, 2272) on the LCWC system.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
Lancaster County Context
Akron Borough Police isn't an outlier here: 33 of the 36 public-safety agencies we track in Lancaster County are fully encrypted (92%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Lancaster County → County encryption overview →
What This Means
There is no partial access here: routine dispatch is encrypted alongside everything else, so a scanner picks up nothing from this agency at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Akron Borough Police radio encrypted?
Yes. Akron Borough Police uses P25 AES-256 encryption. There is no partial access here: routine dispatch is encrypted alongside everything else, so a scanner picks up nothing from this agency at all.
Can I listen to Akron Borough Police on a police scanner?
No. Akron Borough Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Akron Borough Police encrypt their radio?
The reasons offered are almost always the same two: officer safety and operational security. Whether either was tested against a real Lancaster County incident is rarely part of the public record, whereas the consequences are easy to observe — no real-time accountability, and neighbouring agencies still in the clear left working around the gap.
Can Lancaster County reverse the encryption decision?
It can. The radios support open and encrypted operation equally well, so this is a configuration and a policy, not a constraint — and policies set by Lancaster County officials are policies those officials can revisit when constituents press for it.
What can I do about Akron Borough Police encryption?
File a FOIA request for Akron Borough Police's radio recordings and encryption-decision paperwork, then show up to speak at a council or commission meeting. Find other residents or journalists in Lancaster County who want the same access — state legislation requiring public radio access is the longer-term fix, but organized local pressure is what usually moves the needle first.