Colonial Heights Police Department
Colonial Heights, Virginia
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference marks all five Colonial Heights police talkgroups on the Richmond/Henrico/Chesterfield system encrypted, including 'CHPD Disp' (Police Dispatch), while Colonial Heights fire dispatch, fire tac and the EOC talkgroup remain in the clear.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
Colonial Heights County Context
Colonial Heights Police Department isn't an outlier here: 2 of the 2 public-safety agencies we track in Colonial Heights County are fully encrypted (100%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.
See every agency we track in Colonial Heights County → County encryption overview →
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 Colonial Heights Police Department radio encrypted?
Yes — Colonial Heights Police Department's radio system runs on P25 DES-OFB 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 Colonial Heights Police Department on a police scanner?
No. Colonial Heights Police Department has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 DES-OFB. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Colonial Heights Police Department encrypt their radio?
Departments typically point to officer safety and operational security. Neither claim tends to come with evidence specific to Colonial Heights County; what's verifiable is what's lost — journalists can't monitor police department activity in real time, and coordination with agencies that stay unencrypted gets harder.
Can Colonial Heights County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes. Encryption is a policy choice made by department leadership or elected officials, not a technical requirement, so it can be reversed the same way. Public pressure, city council advocacy, and organized local coalitions have reversed encryption decisions elsewhere.
What can I do about Colonial Heights Police Department encryption?
Ask for the paperwork first — the policy that authorised encryption for Colonial Heights 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 Colonial Heights County with you.