Phoenix Police Scanner: What's Encrypted and What's Still Open
The Phoenix metro is a split picture. Phoenix PD precinct dispatch, the Maricopa County Sheriff's district dispatch, Phoenix Fire's regional dispatch, and DPS Highway Patrol are all still in the clear — while Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, and most of the East Valley have gone fully dark. That remaining openness is worth defending.
What you can still monitor in the Valley of the Sun
There's more on the air in Phoenix than most people assume: Phoenix PD precinct dispatch, MCSO district dispatch, Phoenix Fire's regional dispatch for ~20 departments, DPS Highway Patrol, Sky Harbor aviation, amateur nets, and NOAA weather are all in the clear. The catch is the technology — the RWC is P25 trunked with heavy simulcast, so a simulcast-capable scanner makes the difference. See our Phoenix scanner buying guide for the full breakdown.
Phoenix Metro at a Glance
The Valley splits down the middle. The core agencies — Phoenix PD (the 5th largest police department in the US), the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Phoenix Fire, and DPS Highway Patrol — still run dispatch in the clear. Phoenix PD's precinct ("A") talkgroups remain open on the Regional Wireless Cooperative, with only tactical, chase, and operations traffic encrypted.
The East Valley is a different story. Tempe encrypted everything in April 2023, Mesa followed around 2023, and Scottsdale went dark in January 2024 — joined by Peoria, Goodyear, Buckeye, Avondale, Queen Creek, El Mirage, and the tribal departments. The suburbs show exactly where the metro's remaining openness could go if nobody pushes back.
Phoenix Metro Agency Status
| Agency | Type | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Police Department | Police | Partial | Precinct dispatch ("A" talkgroups) in the clear on the RWC; tactical, hot/chase, and ops ("B"/"C") talkgroups encrypted |
| Mesa Police Department | Police | Encrypted | Fully encrypted (~2023) on the Mesa-run TOPAZ Regional Wireless Cooperative; third-largest city in Arizona |
| Scottsdale Police Department | Police | Encrypted | Fully encrypted January 2024 |
| Tempe Police Department | Police | Encrypted | Fully encrypted April 2023 |
| Gilbert Police Department | Police | Partial | Most operations encrypted; emergency traffic still in the clear |
| Chandler Police Department | Police | Partial | Dispatch in the clear; tactical channels encrypted |
| Glendale Police Department | Police | Partial | Mixed — some traffic in the clear, some encrypted |
| Peoria Police Department | Police | Encrypted | Mostly encrypted operations |
| Surprise Police Department | Police | Encrypted | Mostly encrypted; limited mixed traffic |
| Maricopa County Sheriff's Office | Sheriff | Partial | District dispatch (talkgroups 1000-1009) in the clear on the Maricopa County P25 system; tactical restricted |
| Phoenix Fire Department | Fire | Open | Regional dispatch for roughly 20 Valley fire departments in the clear; only K-4/SWAT-support encrypted |
| Arizona Department of Public Safety | State | Open | Highway patrol dispatch in the clear on analog UHF, multicast with AZWINS |
| Goodyear Police Department | Police | Encrypted | West Valley city fully encrypted |
| Avondale Police Department | Police | Encrypted | Fully encrypted |
| Buckeye Police Department | Police | Encrypted | Growing city with encrypted communications |
What Encryption Has Already Cost the East Valley
Journalists blocked in three cities
In Mesa, Tempe, and Scottsdale, newsrooms can no longer monitor breaking incidents as they happen. Coverage there depends on official police statements that arrive on the department's timeline, not the public's.
The newsworthy traffic goes dark first
Even in Phoenix, where dispatch stays open, tactical and pursuit talkgroups are encrypted. When a routine call escalates, the radio record the public can hear cuts off at exactly the moment independent verification matters most.
Community awareness cut off suburb by suburb
Residents of fully encrypted cities — Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Peoria, Goodyear, Buckeye — can no longer monitor local police activity at all. What those agencies choose to share publicly is now the only available information.
A precedent for the rest of the Valley
Every additional city that encrypts makes it easier for the next one to follow. Phoenix PD and MCSO dispatch remain open today, but nothing in Arizona law prevents either agency from flipping the switch tomorrow.
What Can You Still Monitor?
A surprising amount, by big-city standards. With the right scanner — see our Phoenix scanner buying guide — you can still hear most of the metro's core public safety traffic.
Police Dispatch (Core Agencies)
Phoenix PD precinct dispatch ("A" talkgroups) is in the clear on the RWC, and MCSO district dispatch (talkgroups 1000-1009) is open on the Maricopa County system. Chandler dispatch and Gilbert emergency traffic are also accessible. Tactical and pursuit channels are encrypted everywhere.
Fire & EMS (Mostly Open)
Phoenix Fire runs regional dispatch for roughly 20 Valley fire departments in the clear — only K-4/SWAT-support traffic is encrypted. Fire and EMS monitoring remains one of the strongest reasons to own a scanner in the Valley.
DPS, Aircraft & Weather
AZ DPS Highway Patrol dispatch is in the clear on analog UHF, multicast with AZWINS — even an analog scanner gets it. Phoenix Sky Harbor's main dispatch, ATC airband, and NOAA weather are also open, and local ham repeaters round out the picture.
Technical Details
- System: Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) — Phoenix-operated, ~19 member agencies
- Type: 700 MHz P25 Trunked, Phase I migrating to Phase II, 7 simulcast cells
- Status: Phoenix PD "A" (dispatch) talkgroups in the clear; "B"/"C" tactical and ops talkgroups encrypted
- Separate system: TOPAZ Regional Wireless Cooperative (TRWC) — the Mesa-operated East Valley network (Mesa, Gilbert, Apache Junction, Queen Creek)
- Reference: RadioReference RWC page · RadioReference TOPAZ (TRWC) page
Beyond Phoenix: Other Arizona Areas
Tucson & Pima County
Arizona's second-largest city has also moved toward encryption. Check current status for Tucson PD and Pima County Sheriff before monitoring.
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff, Prescott, and surrounding areas have varying encryption status. Some smaller departments may remain accessible—verify on RadioReference.
Pinal County
The county between Phoenix and Tucson has gone dark at the county level: the Pinal County Sheriff's Office is fully encrypted, as is Queen Creek PD.
Tribal Agencies
Tribal police agencies in Arizona operate their own systems, and the Valley-area tribal departments are fully encrypted.
Defending What's Still Open
The East Valley went dark with almost no public opposition — most residents didn't know it was happening until access was already gone. Phoenix PD and MCSO dispatch are still in the clear, and keeping them that way requires acting before an encryption proposal lands on a council agenda, not after.
Defend Phoenix's Open Dispatch
Phoenix PD and MCSO have shown for years that open dispatch coexists with encrypted tactical channels. Tell city council and the county board you want that balance preserved — and ask them to commit to public hearings before any expansion of encryption.
Support Transparency Legislation
Arizona has no law requiring public access to police communications. Support state legislation that would require a public process before agencies encrypt, or mandate journalist access programs.
Document the Impact in Encrypted Cities
Collect examples of delayed or missing coverage in Mesa, Tempe, and Scottsdale since they encrypted. Cases where the public interest was harmed by lack of access build the case for reform — and for keeping Phoenix open.
Protect Other Cities
If you're in an Arizona community that hasn't fully encrypted — Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, or the still-open north — act now. Engage with local government before decisions are made, not after.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phoenix Police Department radio encrypted?
Partially. Phoenix PD precinct dispatch — the "A" talkgroups on the Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) — is still in the clear and can be monitored with a P25 scanner. Tactical, hot/chase, and operations ("B" and "C") talkgroups are encrypted. Phoenix never fully encrypted; a live Broadcastify feed carries PPD dispatch today.
Can I listen to Maricopa County Sheriff on a scanner?
Yes, for dispatch. MCSO district dispatch talkgroups (1000-1009) are in the clear on the Maricopa County P25 system, covering unincorporated areas and contract cities. Tactical and investigative channels are restricted.
Are any Phoenix area police agencies still open?
Yes. Phoenix PD dispatch, MCSO district dispatch, Chandler PD dispatch, and AZ DPS Highway Patrol dispatch are all in the clear, and Gilbert keeps emergency traffic open. The East Valley is the dark spot: Mesa (~2023), Tempe (April 2023), and Scottsdale (January 2024) are fully encrypted, along with Peoria, Goodyear, Buckeye, Avondale, Queen Creek, and El Mirage.
What scanner do I need for Phoenix?
The Phoenix metro runs P25 Phase II trunking with heavy simulcast, so you want an SDS100 or SDS200 — their I/Q receivers handle simulcast distortion that trips up older digital scanners. Conventional digital scanners work in some locations but are hit-or-miss near simulcast cells. An analog-only scanner still gets DPS Highway Patrol, conventional VHF fire, aviation, and NOAA. See our Phoenix scanner buying guide for details.
When did Phoenix police encrypt their radios?
Phoenix PD has never fully encrypted. It encrypted tactical and operations talkgroups while leaving precinct dispatch in the clear on the RWC — a split that still holds today. The full-encryption wave hit the East Valley suburbs instead: Tempe in April 2023, Mesa around 2023, and Scottsdale in January 2024.
Can journalists still access Phoenix police communications?
Partially. Reporters can monitor Phoenix PD precinct dispatch and MCSO district dispatch in real time. But tactical, pursuit, and major-incident traffic moves to encrypted talkgroups, so the most newsworthy moments often disappear from the air just as they develop.
What radio system does Phoenix use? Is it TOPAZ?
No. Phoenix PD operates on the Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC), a Phoenix-run 700 MHz P25 trunked system with about 19 member agencies and 7 simulcast cells, migrating from Phase I to Phase II. TOPAZ is a different network: the TOPAZ Regional Wireless Cooperative (TRWC), the Mesa-operated East Valley system used by Mesa, Gilbert, Apache Junction, and Queen Creek. The two cooperatives interoperate but are separate systems.
Is Phoenix Fire Department encrypted?
No, almost entirely open. Phoenix Fire runs regional dispatch for roughly 20 Valley fire departments in the clear. Only a narrow slice — K-4/SWAT-support traffic — is encrypted. Fire and EMS monitoring remains one of the best uses of a scanner in the Valley.