Federal Protective Service
Statewide, Washington
How we verified this
As of August 2026 only one of the five Federal Protective Service entries in RadioReference's Washington listing is encrypted — "410.800 | FPS Issaquah | Issaquah (Squak Mtn) | P25e" — while the Tacoma, Seattle Jackson Federal Building and Spokane Federal Building guard channels are listed as plain "P25", so the "all operations" claim is overstated.
Encryption Details
What This Means
Coverage here is uneven — parts of the system are locked and parts are open, so a scanner gives you an incomplete rather than an empty picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Federal Protective Service radio encrypted?
Yes. Federal Protective Service uses P25 AES-256 encryption. Coverage here is uneven — parts of the system are locked and parts are open, so a scanner gives you an incomplete rather than an empty picture.
Can I listen to Federal Protective Service on a police scanner?
Partially. Federal Protective Service encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Federal Protective Service encrypt their radio?
Agencies cite officer safety and operational security. Those are assertions rather than findings — no local evidence is typically produced — while the effects are concrete and land straight away on anyone who relied on hearing Federal Protective Service to know what was happening nearby.
Can Statewide County reverse the encryption decision?
Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Statewide 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 Federal Protective Service encryption?
File a FOIA request for Federal Protective Service's radio recordings and encryption-decision paperwork, then show up to speak at a council or commission meeting. Find other residents or journalists in Statewide County who want the same access — state legislation requiring public radio access is the longer-term fix, but organized local pressure is what usually moves the needle first.