Police Radio Encryption: 2025-2026 Developments
The landscape has shifted dramatically. Here's what's happened—and what it means for transparency advocates.
The Big Picture
2025-2026 has been a pivotal period for police radio transparency. On one hand, encryption has spread rapidly across major metropolitan areas. On the other, we've seen the first significant legislative victories for press access—proving that pushback is possible.
Wins
- NYC Local Law 46 enacted (Jan 2026)
- NYPD required to publish press-access plan by mid-July 2026
- Seattle preserves dispatch access (Q2 2026)
- Illinois HB-3911 transparency bill in active consideration
- CHP maintains statewide open dispatch
- Boston implements delayed feed compromise
- Colorado media-access law (C.R.S. § 24-6-502) honored in Grand County
- San Antonio model gains attention
Setbacks
- East Bay regional blackout (Oct 2025)
- Brazos County TX silent rollout (Dec 2025)
- Prince William County VA (Jan 2026)
- Fairfax County VA announces (Mar 2026)
- Anne Arundel MD P25 encryption (2025)
- Minneapolis encryption (May 2025)
- St. Paul MN follows Minneapolis (Fall 2025)
- Washington State PSERN wave (2026)
- Hochul vetoes NY state bill (Jan 2026)
- Wichita/Sedgwick County KS: 17 agencies go dark under CJIS (April 2026)
- Grand County CO: law, fire, and EMS all encrypted (May 2026)
- Galesburg and Knox County IL join StarCom21 encrypted network (June 2026)
- Skagit County WA: four more agencies encrypting through summer 2026
Timeline of Key Events
2025
Minneapolis Goes Dark
In the city where George Floyd was killed—and where the initial police statement was contradicted by witness video—scanner traffic goes silent. City launches an incidents dashboard as an alternative, updating every 30 minutes.
Read the Minneapolis case study → Minneapolis, MNSeattle Announces Partial Encryption
Seattle PD announces it will encrypt tactical channels while keeping dispatch channels open—a middle-ground approach tied to the regional PSERN upgrade.
Read the Seattle case study → Seattle, WABoston Encrypts with Delayed Feed
Boston PD converts to encrypted digital radio, but implements a compromise: a free 5-minute delayed public feed at radio.rapidsos.com/boston with 6 police channels available.
Read the Boston case study → Boston, MAOakland Encrypts Without Notice
Oakland PD encrypts radio communications after announcing the decision in late April—without press release, press conference, or public input. Even the Police Commission was surprised.
Read the Oakland case study → Oakland, CAContra Costa County Encryption
All Contra Costa County law enforcement agencies complete encryption of radio communications as part of the East Bay regional rollout.
Contra Costa County, CAAlameda County Goes Dark
After technical delays, all Alameda County agencies except Berkeley complete encryption before sunrise. Nearly 2 million residents lose access to police communications.
Read the East Bay case study → Alameda County, CAChicago Suburbs: 13 Fire Departments Encrypt
The Northwest Central Dispatch System (NWCDS) encrypts fire dispatch for 13 fire departments in Chicago's northwest suburbs. The 23-2 vote marked a significant expansion of encryption beyond law enforcement.
Read the Chicago Fire case study → Cook County, ILBerkeley Falls—8-1 Vote for Encryption
Despite community opposition, Berkeley City Council votes overwhelmingly to encrypt. The "last holdout" argument proves decisive—Berkeley was the only open agency left in two counties.
Read the Berkeley case study → Berkeley, CASt. Paul Follows Minneapolis
St. Paul Police encrypts all radio communications, completing the Twin Cities regional blackout. Officials cite federal rules compliance. Together, 3.7 million metro residents lose real-time scanner access.
Read the St. Paul case study → St. Paul, MNBrazos County Surprise Encryption
Multiple Texas agencies—College Station PD, Bryan PD, Brazos County Sheriff, TAMU Police, and DPS—encrypt without public notice, discussion, or community input.
Read the Brazos County case study → Brazos County, TXAnne Arundel County MD P25 Upgrade
Anne Arundel County upgrades to P25 digital radio with encryption capability. The Baltimore-area jurisdiction joins the Mid-Atlantic encryption wave.
Read the Anne Arundel case study → Anne Arundel County, MD2026
Prince William County VA Encrypts
Northern Virginia's second-most populous county encrypts police radios, continuing the DC-area regional encryption trend. Announcement came via Facebook post with minimal public discussion.
Read the Prince William County case study → Prince William County, VAGovernor Hochul Vetoes State Press Access Bill
New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoes the "Keep Police Radio Public Act," citing concerns about "technological feasibility." The Deadline Club called her justifications "law enforcement lobbyist talking points."
Read about the Hochul veto → New York StateNYC Local Law 46 Takes Effect
One day after Hochul's veto, NYC Local Law 46 goes into effect—making New York City the first major American city to require press access to encrypted police radio. The law mandates an unencrypted critical incident channel for the public.
Read the NYC success story → New York CityFairfax County VA Announces Encryption
Virginia's largest jurisdiction announces plans to encrypt all 8 dispatch channels. Fairfax County PD cited "social media harvesting" as a new rationale, joining Prince William County in the DC metro encryption wave.
Read the Fairfax County case study → Fairfax County, VAFederal Way Encrypts Fully
Federal Way Police implements full encryption—unlike Seattle's partial model. Only first responders can access radio traffic; no public alternative offered.
Read the Washington State regional analysis → Federal Way, WABothell Fire & Police Encrypt
Both Bothell Fire and Police departments enhance encryption under PSERN, joining the regional wave across King County.
Read the Washington State regional analysis → Bothell, WASeattle Police & Fire Partial Encryption
Seattle Police and Fire complete transition to partial encryption under PSERN. Dispatch channels remain open; tactical channels encrypted—a model other cities can reference.
Read the Seattle tactical encryption case study → Seattle, WAIllinois HB-3911 Transparency Bill Introduced
Illinois becomes the first major Midwest state to consider statewide police radio transparency legislation. HB-3911 would require press access to encrypted communications.
Track Illinois HB-3911 → IllinoisCalifornia Highway Patrol Maintains Open Model
California's largest law enforcement agency continues operating with open dispatch communications, proving that even large agencies can maintain transparency while protecting sensitive operations.
Read the CHP success story → California (Statewide)Skagit County, WA: Four Agencies Encrypting
Sedro-Woolley, Anacortes, and Swinomish are already dark. Burlington and Mount Vernon have until July. Skagit 911 says mutual aid channels will stay open for scanner listeners, but routine dispatch is gone.
Skagit County, WAWichita and 17 Sedgwick County Agencies Go Dark Under CJIS
On April 28, Wichita PD and 16 other Sedgwick County law enforcement agencies went encrypted, citing the FBI's CJIS Security Policy. Fire and EMS channels stayed open. The $1.8 million project was grant-funded, but the real driver was a hard federal deadline: CJIS audit enforcement starts October 1.
Read the Sedgwick County case study → Wichita, KS / Sedgwick CountyGrand County, CO: Law, Fire, and EMS All Encrypted — AI Apps Now a Justification
Grand County went fully dark on May 22, encrypting law enforcement, fire, and EMS simultaneously. The county added a new justification: AI scanner apps that mishear routine calls and blast active-shooter alerts to parents. Under Colorado law (C.R.S. § 24-6-502), Sky-Hi News got a dedicated newsroom radio for dispatch access, but that protection only exists for credentialed media.
Grand County, COGalesburg and Knox County IL Encrypt as HB-3911 Sits in Committee
Galesburg Police, Galesburg Fire, and the Knox County Sheriff encrypted primary dispatch on StarCom21 by June 1. Fire page-out and fireground channels stayed open. The city signed the $1.24 million Motorola contract in October 2025, months before Illinois legislators got serious about HB-3911.
Track Illinois HB-3911 → Galesburg / Knox County, ILKey Trends We're Watching
Regional Coordination
Encryption is increasingly happening at the regional level, not city-by-city. When one agency encrypts, it pressures neighbors to follow—creating domino effects that are hard to stop.
East Bay's coordinated rollout left Berkeley as the "only open agency," making their encryption nearly inevitable.
Local Action When State Fails
NYC's success came one day after the state bill was vetoed—proving cities can act independently when state legislatures fail.
Don't abandon local campaigns just because state efforts stall. City councils are often more responsive than state legislatures.
Middle-Ground Models Emerging
Seattle's partial encryption and NYC's press access law represent alternatives to all-or-nothing approaches. These models may become templates for compromise.
Partial encryption, delayed access, and press credentialing are all approaches with real-world examples cities can point to.
Surprise Encryption Without Notice
Multiple agencies—Oakland, Brazos County—encrypted without meaningful public notice or input. Communities are learning about encryption after it happens.
Proactive advocacy before encryption is announced is far more effective than reactive campaigns after the fact.
Fire/EMS Encryption Expanding
As police encryption becomes normalized, fire and EMS departments are increasingly following suit. HIPAA privacy arguments for EMS are expanding to cover all fire dispatch.
Chicago's NWCDS encrypted 13 fire departments in October 2025; Seattle Fire is encrypting tactical channels in Q2 2026; Waukegan Fire followed in February 2025.
Regional Infrastructure Enables Waves
Modern regional radio systems—PSERN in Washington, NJICS in New Jersey, ARMER in Minnesota—make encryption trivially easy. Once infrastructure is in place, encryption becomes an administrative decision, not a capital project.
Washington State's 2026 wave shows this in action: King County agencies via PSERN, Snohomish County via its own $72M system, and Skagit County via existing infrastructure—all encrypting in the same period.
CJIS October Deadline Driving Summer 2026 Wave
FBI CJIS audit enforcement begins October 1, 2026. Agencies that still transmit criminal justice information over unencrypted radio channels after that date face written corrective action plans and risk losing CJIS system access entirely—which would break field license checks and warrant queries. Many agencies are encrypting before that date regardless of other stated reasons.
Wichita/Sedgwick County (April), Galesburg/Knox County (June), and Grand County CO (May) all cited CJIS compliance. Expect a significant summer 2026 wave before the October audit clock starts.
Detailed Case Studies
Click any card below for full analysis of each development.
NYC Local Law 46
First major city to mandate press access
January 2026 MixedSeattle Partial Encryption
Dispatch open, tactical encrypted
June 2025 - Q2 2026 Regional BlackoutEast Bay California
Two-county coordinated encryption
October 2025 No NoticeOakland
Encryption bypassed oversight
September 2025 Last HoldoutBerkeley
Progressive city voted 8-1 for encryption
October 2025 SurpriseBrazos County, TX
Encryption without public discussion
December 2025 VetoNY Governor Veto
State bill blocked despite legislative passage
January 2026 ReversedPalo Alto
Community pressure won transparency back
August 2022 CompromiseBoston
Encrypted with 5-minute delayed public feed
August 2025 DC SuburbPrince William County
Northern Virginia regional encryption trend
January 2026 30-Year ModelSan Antonio
Proven media access with encrypted radios
Since 1990s DC SuburbFairfax County VA
Virginia's largest jurisdiction encrypts
March 2026 Fire/EMSChicago Fire Encryption
13 fire departments go dark
October 2025 National TrendFire/EMS Encryption
Growing fire department encryption wave
2025-2026 George Floyd CityMinneapolis
Five years after Floyd, scanners go silent
May 2025 Twin CitiesSt. Paul
Follows Minneapolis, completing regional blackout
Fall 2025 Regional WaveWashington State
PSERN enables coordinated encryption
2026 CJIS MandateWichita / Sedgwick County, KS
17 agencies encrypt under federal deadline
April 2026 Legislation WatchIllinois HB-3911
First major Midwest transparency bill
2026What You Can Do
The 2025-2026 developments show that both directions are possible—encryption can spread rapidly, but transparency can also win when communities organize.
If Your City Hasn't Encrypted
- Monitor local government agendas for encryption discussions
- Build coalition with journalists, civil liberties groups, and allies
- Establish relationships with council members now
- Propose transparency policies before encryption is considered
If Your City Has Encrypted
- Document impacts on journalism and public safety
- Push for NYC-style press access legislation
- Support state-level transparency bills
- Build the evidence base for future reversal
Take Action for Transparency
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