Police Department Fully Encrypted

York County Police

York, Pennsylvania

What you can do right now

Encryption Details

Encryption Type P25 AES-256
Scope All Operations
Technical Details P25 Phase II AES-256

Verified Talkgroup Data

Verified Mar 6, 2026 Moderate confidence
61 Total Talkgroups
22 Encrypted
39 Unencrypted
36% Encrypted
Radio System: York County, Mid-Atlantic Digital Radio Network, Mills Communications, WellSpan Health Radio Network, PA-STARNet: Pennsylvania Statewide Radio Network
View 22 talkgroups
DEC Alpha Tag Description Status
51001 PD CITY 1 Police Dispatch - City 1 (includes West York and West Manchester) Encrypted
51002 PD CITY 2 Police Index/Spec Details - City 2 (includes West York and West Manchester) Encrypted
51108 PD67 YCRPD York County Regional PD Encrypted
51007 PD NYCR Northern York County Regional Police - Dispatch Encrypted
51116 PD34 NYCR Northern York County Regional PD Encrypted
50111 YCFS Trng York County Fire School Training Encrypted
53405 EMS Co 95 Southern York County EMS Private Encrypted
53406 EMS Co 97 York Hospital DRT Encrypted
51125 PD48 W Y Boro West York Boro. PD Encrypted
51129 PD54 York Coll York College Encrypted
51130 PD56 York City York City PD Encrypted
51131 PD57 YCS York City School Encrypted
52401 CO 1 West York FD Private Encrypted
52411 CO 19 York Twp FD Private Encrypted
52416 NWBY FD Newberry/Goldsboro/York Haven FD Private Encrypted
52451 CO 71 Eastern York County Forest Fire Private Encrypted
52452 CO 72 Southern York County Forest Fire Private Encrypted
52454 CO 91 York County Hazmat Private Encrypted
52455 CO 99 York City FD Private Encrypted
51136 PD55 Penn St Penn State - York Encrypted
51138 York Coll Event York College Police - Events Encrypted
10157 PSP York J6 York Dispatch Encrypted

Verification Status

We don't yet have per-talkgroup data for York County Police from the RadioReference API. The encryption scope and type above come from the RadioReference Wiki, which is community-maintained rather than independently confirmed channel-by-channel. Our automated matching put this at moderate confidence (70%) based on how closely the wiki listing matches this agency's name and county.

If you monitor York County Police directly or have more current information, the fastest way to fix this is to update the RadioReference Wiki entry — our data pulls from there and from the RadioReference API on a regular refresh cycle.

York County Context

York County Police isn't an outlier here: 2 of the 3 public-safety agencies we track in York County are fully encrypted (67%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.

What This Means

Our records list every channel this agency runs as encrypted, including day-to-day dispatch. That listing hasn't been verified against live talkgroup data, so confirm it at RadioReference before relying on it.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is York County Police radio encrypted?

Our database lists York County Police as using P25 AES-256 encryption, though this listing is unverified. Our records list every channel this agency runs as encrypted, including day-to-day dispatch. That listing hasn't been verified against live talkgroup data, so confirm it at RadioReference before relying on it.

Can I listen to York County Police on a police scanner?

Likely not, if the listing is accurate: our database lists York County Police as fully encrypted using P25 AES-256, which no consumer scanner can decode. The listing is unverified — check the live RadioReference database for current status.

Why do agencies like York County Police encrypt their radio?

The standard justification nationwide is officer safety and operational security, regardless of whether a documented local incident ever required it. The tradeoff that follows is consistent too: public oversight drops, and reporters lose the ability to track police department response as it happens.

Can York County reverse the encryption decision?

Nothing technical prevents it. York County Police operates encrypted because someone decided it should, and decisions of that kind get revisited when councils hear sustained, organised pressure rather than isolated complaints.

What can I do about York County Police encryption?

File a FOIA request for York County 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 York 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.

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