Jamestown Police
Newport, Rhode Island
How we verified this
RadioReference's RISCON system page lists both Jamestown police talkgroups as encrypted as of August 2026 — '1100 / Jamestown PD 1 / Police 1 - Dispatch / D Enc' and '1101 / Jamestown PD 2 / D Enc' — though the page does not state which encryption algorithm is used.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
Newport County Context
Jamestown Police isn't an outlier here: 3 of the 4 public-safety agencies we track in Newport County are fully encrypted (75%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Newport 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 Jamestown Police radio encrypted?
Yes. Jamestown Police uses P25 DES-OFB 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 Jamestown Police on a police scanner?
No. Jamestown Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 DES-OFB. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Jamestown 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 Newport 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 Newport County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Newport County officials made and can revisit, and other communities have pushed departments back toward open channels through sustained council pressure and coalition-building.
What can I do about Jamestown Police encryption?
Put the question to whoever signs off on Jamestown Police's radio budget: why full encryption rather than a delayed feed or tactical-only channels? File for the recordings and the decision documents alongside it, and link up with neighbours and local reporters in Newport County so the ask arrives as a group rather than a one-off.