Washington Township Police
Franklin, Pennsylvania
How we verified this
SCICNet's talkgroup list under 'Franklin Co Law Enforcement' includes 'Wash Twp Pvt' (Washington Township Private, Law Talk) explicitly marked ENC, alongside the county's 'County Disp' and 'Countywide' law talkgroups, also ENC.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
Franklin County Context
Washington Township Police isn't an outlier here: 8 of the 8 public-safety agencies we track in Franklin County are fully encrypted (100%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Franklin 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 Washington Township Police radio encrypted?
Yes — Washington Township Police's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 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 Washington Township Police on a police scanner?
No. Washington Township Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Washington Township Police encrypt their radio?
Officer safety and operational security are the reasons agencies give. What rarely comes with that explanation is Franklin 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 Franklin County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes. Encryption is a policy choice made by department leadership or elected officials, not a technical requirement, so it can be reversed the same way. Public pressure, city council advocacy, and organized local coalitions have reversed encryption decisions elsewhere.
What can I do about Washington Township Police encryption?
Start local: show up when Franklin County officials discuss the budget for Washington Township Police, 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.