College of William and Mary Police
York, Virginia
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference flags both College of William and Mary police talkgroups on the Peninsula Regional Radio System — 'WM PD 1' (Police 1, tagged Law Dispatch) and 'WM PD 2' — as encrypted, contradicting the claim that campus dispatch is in the clear; only the school's student-events and maintenance groups remain unencrypted.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
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 College of William and Mary Police radio encrypted?
Yes — College of William and Mary Police's radio system runs on P25 ADP 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 College of William and Mary Police on a police scanner?
No. College of William and Mary Police has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 ADP. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did College of William and Mary Police 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 York 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 York County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes. Whoever made this call for College of William and Mary Police 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 College of William and Mary Police encryption?
Ask for the paperwork first — the policy that authorised encryption for College of William and Mary Police, 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 York County with you.