1 of 11 Knox County agencies are fully encrypted
11 public safety agencies in Knox County, Tennessee have encrypted their radio communications.
Radio encryption in Knox County
Encryption in Knox County is mostly selective rather than blanket. Ten of the 11 logged agencies are recorded as partially encrypted and only one as fully encrypted, and the dominant method is P25 ADP rather than AES — the Knox County Sheriff's Office is the single agency listed with P25 AES, applied partially. The City of Knoxville Police Department is the one agency recorded as encrypting all monitored channels. Knoxville Fire, Rural Metro Fire, Knox County Schools Security Division, the Knox County Emergency Communications District and Emergency Management Agency all encrypt only specific channels, Karns Volunteer Fire encrypts tactical channels, and University of Tennessee Knoxville Police is partial. Two records — American Medical Response and the Town of Farragut — are unverified. Everything runs on the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN), where 121 of 199 monitored talkgroups remain in the clear.
Compiled from this site's agency database. Encryption status changes without notice — confirm any specific agency on RadioReference.
Radio systems serving Knox County
- Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN)
Of 199 talkgroups catalogued for Knox County, 74 are encrypted and 121 remain in the clear. A scanner can still receive the unencrypted channels.
9 of 11 records here have been checked against a primary source; 2 have not.
System and talkgroup counts come from this site's agency database and change without notice — confirm current status on RadioReference.
Encryption Technology Used in Knox County
Encrypted Agencies in Knox County
| Agency Name | Type | Encryption | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Medical Response | Ems | P25 ADP | Specific Channels |
| City of Knoxville Fire Department ✓ | Fire | P25 ADP | Specific Channels |
| City of Knoxville Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 ADP | Fully Encrypted |
| Karns Volunteer Fire Department ✓ | Fire | P25 ADP | Tactical Only |
| Knox County Schools Security Division ✓ | School | P25 ADP | Specific Channels |
| Knox County Emergency Communications District ✓ | Sheriff | P25 ADP | Specific Channels |
| Knox County Emergency Management Agency ✓ | Sheriff | P25 ADP | Specific Channels |
| Knox County Sheriff's Office ✓ | Sheriff | P25 AES | Partially Encrypted |
| Rural Metro Fire Department ✓ | Fire | P25 ADP | Specific Channels |
| Town of Farragut | Other | P25 ADP | Specific Channels |
| University of Tennessee Knoxville Police Department ✓ | Police | P25 ADP | Partially Encrypted |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Knox County police radio encrypted?
1 of 11 agencies in Knox County, Tennessee are fully encrypted (9%), while 10 have partial encryption.
Can I listen to Knox County Sheriff on a scanner?
The Knox County Sheriff's Office has encrypted their radio communications using P25 ADP. Scanner monitoring of sheriff operations is no longer possible.
How many police departments in Knox County are encrypted?
2 police departments in Knox County have implemented some level of encryption, along with 3 sheriff offices, 3 fire departments, and 1 EMS agencies.
What encryption technology does Knox County use?
The most common encryption type in Knox County is P25 ADP, used by agencies for secure communications. This encryption blocks public scanner monitoring.
Fight Encryption in Knox County
Join the movement to restore transparency to public safety communications in Knox County, Tennessee.