Lexington Police Department
City of Lexington, Virginia
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference flags all five Lexington Police talkgroups on the Rockbridge system — including 'Lexington PD 1', tagged Law Dispatch — as encrypted.
Encryption Details
Verified Talkgroup Data
What This Means
All traffic, including the day-to-day dispatch that used to be the public's window into police activity, now runs encrypted. Nothing from this department is receivable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lexington Police Department radio encrypted?
Yes — Lexington Police Department's radio system runs on P25 AES-256 encryption. All traffic, including the day-to-day dispatch that used to be the public's window into police activity, now runs encrypted. Nothing from this department is receivable.
Can I listen to Lexington Police Department on a police scanner?
No. Lexington Police Department has fully encrypted their radio communications using P25 AES-256. No consumer scanner can decode encrypted transmissions.
Why did Lexington Police Department 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 City of Lexington 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 City of Lexington County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes. Whoever made this call for Lexington Police Department 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 Lexington Police Department encryption?
Contact the officials who oversee Lexington Police Department's budget directly and ask why full encryption was chosen over partial alternatives. Pair that with a FOIA request for recordings and policy records, and look for an existing coalition in City of Lexington County, or start one, since agencies respond differently to organized, sustained pressure than to individual complaints.