Other Agency Partially Encrypted

City of Georgetown

Williamson, Texas

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference flags all three Georgetown Police talkgroups on GATRRS as encrypted, but Georgetown Fire Dispatch and Fire 1-6 are listed in the clear (only the two Fire Medical talkgroups are encrypted), so the claim that all police, fire and EMS operations are encrypted does not match the database.

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09: radioreference.com . Encryption status changes without notice — confirm the current picture on the live RadioReference database before relying on it.

What you can do right now

Encryption Details

Encryption Type P25 DES-OFB
Scope Some talkgroups encrypted; dispatch audible per verification
Technical Details P25 DES-OFB

Williamson County Context

Williamson County is a mixed picture: 3 of 6 agencies we track here are fully encrypted (50%), which means some neighboring departments are still audible on a scanner.

What This Means

This agency encrypts some of its communications while leaving others open. Which channels are affected depends on the operation.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is City of Georgetown radio encrypted?

Yes. City of Georgetown uses P25 DES-OFB encryption. This agency encrypts some of its communications while leaving others open. Which channels are affected depends on the operation.

Can I listen to City of Georgetown on a police scanner?

Partially. City of Georgetown encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why did City of Georgetown encrypt their radio?

Agencies cite officer safety and operational security. Those are assertions rather than findings — no local evidence is typically produced — while the effects are concrete and land straight away on anyone who relied on hearing City of Georgetown to know what was happening nearby.

Can Williamson County reverse the encryption decision?

Nothing technical prevents it. City of Georgetown 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 City of Georgetown encryption?

Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for City of Georgetown's encryption policy and radio recordings, a turn at the microphone during Williamson County budget discussions, and finding the other people locally already asking the same question. Individually these are easy to deflect; together they are not.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09 — see "How we verified this" above. Encryption status changes; confirm at RadioReference before relying on it.

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