Manassas Park Police Department
Manassas Park City, Virginia
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference lists the Manassas Park police dispatch talkgroup on the Manassas / Manassas Park system as unencrypted and flags only one of the department's two tactical talkgroups as encrypted, contradicting any claim that all of its operations are encrypted.
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 Manassas Park Police Department radio encrypted?
Yes — Manassas Park Police Department's radio system runs on 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 Manassas Park Police Department on a police scanner?
Partially. Manassas Park Police Department encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Manassas Park Police Department encrypt their radio?
Departments typically point to officer safety and operational security. Neither claim tends to come with evidence specific to Manassas Park City 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 Manassas Park City County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes. Whoever made this call for Manassas Park 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 Manassas Park Police Department encryption?
Contact the officials who oversee Manassas Park 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 Manassas Park City County, or start one, since agencies respond differently to organized, sustained pressure than to individual complaints.