Pennsylvania Police Radio Encryption: PSP, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh & Statewide Status
Pennsylvania State Police's current PA-STARNet system is confirmed fully encrypted as of 2023 (RadioReference); the exact transition date is unclear. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh encrypt tactical channels but keep main dispatch partially open. Bucks County, Lancaster, and most of rural Pennsylvania still run fully open communications. Pennsylvania's Right-To-Know Law gives residents a mechanism to request radio recordings after the fact.
What PA listeners can still monitor statewide
PSP is fully encrypted, but Philadelphia and Pittsburgh still run open dispatch on many channels, Bucks and Lancaster remain in the clear, and federal/aviation/amateur/NOAA layers work across the Commonwealth. With 1,100+ municipal departments, there's still plenty to hear—if you have the right gear.
Pennsylvania at a Glance
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh both chose partial encryption rather than the full blackout that other large cities have adopted. That decision has preserved some public access that states like Arizona and California lost entirely. Pennsylvania's two major metros are not beacons of transparency, but they are notably better than the national trend.
Pennsylvania State Police's statewide encryption—confirmed fully encrypted on its current PA-STARNet P25 system as of 2023, per RadioReference—was the biggest single move, affecting highway patrol coverage across the whole commonwealth. But with over 1,100 municipal police departments making their own decisions, much of the state—particularly Central Pennsylvania—remains open.
Major Pennsylvania Agencies
| Agency | Status | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Police Department | Partial | 1.6M | Tactical/investigative channels (Civil Affairs, Homicide-SIU, SWAT, Narcotics) encrypted; dispatch remains open — verify at RadioReference |
| Pittsburgh Bureau of Police | Partial | 300K | Ops/Admin channels went encrypted May 13, 2021; main dispatch (Zones 1/2, 3/6, 4/5) remains open |
| Pennsylvania State Police | Encrypted | Statewide | Current PA-STARNet P25 system confirmed fully encrypted as of 2023 (RadioReference); exact transition date unclear |
| Allegheny County Police | Partial | 1.2M | County-wide system with mixed encryption; covers Pittsburgh suburbs — verify at RadioReference |
| Montgomery County Police | Encrypted | 850K | Countywide radio system (all 52 police departments) completed transition December 8, 2020; all police communications encrypted |
| Delaware County | Partial | 570K | Philly suburb transitioning; some departments remain open |
| Bucks County | Open | 630K | Largely open communications across most departments |
| Lancaster City Police | Open | 60K | Central PA city maintains open dispatch |
| Erie Police Department | Partial | 95K | Part of Erie County’s Next Generation Public Safety Radio System (covers Erie Bureau plus 8 other municipal PDs); encryption testing began ~January 2019, cutover ~March 31, 2019 |
| Allentown Police Department | Encrypted | 125K | Switched to encryption in August 2012; live RadioReference confirms all Allentown PD talkgroups remain fully encrypted today |
Regional Analysis
Greater Philadelphia
Philadelphia PD encrypts tactical operations while keeping some dispatch channels open. Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties vary by municipality. Bucks County remains largely accessible across most departments.
- Philadelphia PD: Main dispatch open, tactical/investigative channels encrypted
- Montgomery County: Fully encrypted countywide since December 2020
- Delaware County: Transitioning to encryption
- Bucks County: Largely remains open
Greater Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has partial encryption. Allegheny County's surrounding communities run the full range from open to encrypted, depending on department size and available resources.
- Pittsburgh Police: Ops/Admin encrypted May 13, 2021; main dispatch open
- Allegheny County: Mixed by department
- Suburban departments: Generally more open
- County-wide system coordination ongoing
Central Pennsylvania
The rural center of the state remains largely transparent. Smaller departments haven't faced the vendor pressure or grant incentives that pushed urban agencies toward encryption, and most lack the budget for major radio system overhauls.
- Harrisburg: State capital, partial encryption
- Lancaster: City police remain open
- State College: Penn State area, mostly open
- Rural sheriffs: Generally open
Lehigh Valley and northeast PA
Allentown has been fully encrypted since 2012. Scranton is transitioning. Smaller departments and townships across the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania are mostly still open.
- Allentown PD: Fully encrypted since August 2012
- Bethlehem: Mixed status
- Scranton: Transitioning
- Wilkes-Barre: Mostly open
Pennsylvania Encryption Timeline
Allentown PD encrypts
Allentown Police Department switches to encryption in August 2012. Live RadioReference data confirms all Allentown PD talkgroups remain fully encrypted today.
Erie County encrypts countywide
Erie County's Next Generation Public Safety Radio System begins testing around January 2019 and cuts over around March 31, 2019, encrypting the Erie Bureau of Police and eight other municipal departments—not just Erie PD alone.
Philadelphia and Montgomery County move
Philadelphia PD encrypts tactical/investigative channels in the years following 2020 protests while keeping main dispatch open (exact date unconfirmed). Montgomery County completes its countywide radio system transition on December 8, 2020, encrypting all communications for its 52 police departments; the legacy system is decommissioned the next day.
Pittsburgh Ops/Admin channels encrypt
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police encrypts its Ops and Admin channels. Main dispatch (Zones 1/2, 3/6, 4/5) remains open today.
PA State Police confirmed fully encrypted
RadioReference confirms PSP's current PA-STARNet P25 system is fully encrypted by 2023. The prior OpenSky system had carried encrypted digital traffic since 2006; the precise transition date to full encryption isn't pinned down.
Patchwork holds
State police are fully encrypted. Major cities have partial encryption. Hundreds of smaller departments are still open. The contrast is sharp and largely follows population density.
Sources: PSP — RadioReference. Pittsburgh — RadioReference forums. Montgomery County — Montgomery County. Erie County — GovTech. Allentown — RadioReference forums.
Impact on Pennsylvania communities
Philadelphia media
The Philadelphia Inquirer and local TV stations still have some scanner access, but reporters consistently describe gaps in real-time coverage—particularly when police response to major incidents is already underway on encrypted tactical channels before press notifications go out.
Pittsburgh journalism
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Tribune-Review have partial scanner access under the city's hybrid model. The gaps show up in breaking news: reporters learn about police operations through official statements rather than direct radio monitoring.
Rural communities
Pennsylvania's rural counties and small towns still depend on scanner access for community alerting. Volunteer fire and EMS rely on open radio for coordination in areas where push notification apps and reverse-911 systems have thin coverage.
Accountability
Partial encryption has preserved some public oversight while removing others. Major use-of-force incidents and high-profile police operations in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh now unfold on encrypted tactical channels with no independent public monitoring.
What Pennsylvanians can do
Engage local government early
With over 1,100 municipal departments, most encryption decisions in Pennsylvania get made at city council or township supervisor level. Attend public meetings when radio system purchases come up—encryption is hard to reverse after contracts are signed.
Push for state legislation
Pennsylvania's General Assembly has no statewide transparency requirement for police radio. Contact your state representative and senator to support legislation requiring public access provisions or public hearings before agencies can encrypt.
Recognize departments that stayed open
Lancaster City Police and Bucks County departments that remain open are doing so without any legal requirement—they're choosing transparency. Public acknowledgment matters when those departments face internal pressure to encrypt.
Use the Right-To-Know Law
Pennsylvania's RTKL is one of the stronger state public records statutes. File RTK requests for encryption contracts, cost justifications, and decision-making records—then share them with the press and advocacy organizations.
What you can do
Encryption is a policy choice, not a technical requirement. Here are the next steps that have worked in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.