City of Brentwood Police Department
Washington, Tennessee
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference lists all four Brentwood talkgroups on the Middle Tennessee Regional Trunked Radio System — police primary dispatch, police tactical, fire dispatch and fire station alerting — as encrypted; note that Brentwood is in Williamson County, not Washington County as this record states.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
Washington County Context
City of Brentwood Police Department isn't an outlier here: 6 of the 8 public-safety agencies we track in Washington County are fully encrypted (75%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Washington 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 City of Brentwood Police Department radio encrypted?
Yes — City of Brentwood Police Department'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 City of Brentwood Police Department on a police scanner?
No. City of Brentwood Police Department has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did City of Brentwood Police Department 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 Washington 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 Washington County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes. Whoever made this call for City of Brentwood Police Department 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 City of Brentwood Police Department encryption?
Ask for the paperwork first — the policy that authorised encryption for City of Brentwood Police Department, 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 Washington County with you.