Elizabethtown Borough Police
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
How we verified this
RadioReference shows Elizabethtown Borough PD private talkgroup (TG 3105) and all Lancaster County police dispatch talkgroups flagged Enc.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
Lancaster County Context
Elizabethtown 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
This agency encrypts all of its radio communications, including routine dispatch. The public, journalists, and even other first responders can't monitor its activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elizabethtown Borough Police radio encrypted?
Yes — Elizabethtown Borough Police's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 encryption. This agency encrypts all of its radio communications, including routine dispatch. The public, journalists, and even other first responders can't monitor its activity.
Can I listen to Elizabethtown Borough Police on a police scanner?
No. Elizabethtown Borough Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Elizabethtown Borough Police encrypt their radio?
Ask why, and the answer is usually officer safety, sometimes operational security. What is harder to obtain is any documented case in Lancaster County where an open channel caused harm. The costs need no such documentation: reporting on police department response slows down, and mutual-aid coordination gets more awkward, immediately.
Can Lancaster County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes. Whoever made this call for Elizabethtown Borough Police 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 Elizabethtown Borough Police encryption?
Ask for the paperwork first — the policy that authorised encryption for Elizabethtown Borough Police, 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 Lancaster County with you.