City of San Antonio
Bexer, Texas
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference flags essentially all San Antonio Police patrol, special-unit and detective talkgroups on AARRS as encrypted, but San Antonio Fire Department alerting, district access and tactical talkgroups are listed in the clear, so 'all operations' overstates the city-wide picture.
Encryption Details
What This Means
Some of this agency's traffic is encrypted and some is not. What you can hear depends on the channel and on what the department is doing at the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is City of San Antonio radio encrypted?
Yes. City of San Antonio uses P25 AES-256 encryption. Some of this agency's traffic is encrypted and some is not. What you can hear depends on the channel and on what the department is doing at the time.
Can I listen to City of San Antonio on a police scanner?
Partially. City of San Antonio 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 San Antonio encrypt their radio?
The reasons offered are almost always the same two: officer safety and operational security. Whether either was tested against a real Bexer 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 Bexer County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Bexer 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 City of San Antonio encryption?
Put the question to whoever signs off on City of San Antonio'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 Bexer County so the ask arrives as a group rather than a one-off.