Sacramento Police Scanner: Still in the Clear
While the Bay Area and Southern California went dark, California's capital kept both city police and county sheriff dispatch audible. That makes Sacramento worth defending — and worth watching.
Key Facts
The capital region kept its dispatch open
As of June 2026, both of Sacramento's major law enforcement agencies — Sacramento Police Department and Sacramento County Sheriff's Office — run their primary dispatch channels in the clear on the Sacramento Regional Radio Communications System (SRRCS), a regional P25 network. The live RadioReference database shows dispatch talkgroups for both agencies operating unencrypted, and Broadcastify carries live feeds of Sheriff and City Police dispatch.
That puts Sacramento in a shrinking club. San Jose went fully dark in 2020, San Francisco encrypted most traffic in 2021, San Diego in 2025, and Oakland with the rest of Alameda County in October 2025. The capital region responded to the same 2020 DOJ directive with policy changes and selective encryption instead of a blackout.
"The ability to hear how officers talk to one another over the radio helps make police departments more accountable."— Senator Josh Becker (D-San Mateo), author of SB 719
What is encrypted in Sacramento County
Open dispatch doesn't mean everything is audible. On SRRCS, encryption is concentrated in tactical and investigative talkgroups:
Encrypted secure alternates to the Sheriff's regular tac channels, used for operations that need to stay off the air
Criminal intelligence, internal affairs, and special investigations talkgroups run encrypted full-time
SWAT activations, warrant service, and surveillance work move to encrypted talkgroups when needed
Routine patrol dispatch, calls for service, and fire/EMS traffic remain in the clear. Check current talkgroup modes on the RadioReference SRRCS system page — encryption status can change without notice.
The model other cities didn't follow
Sacramento's agencies took the same approach CHP uses statewide: keep routine traffic open, move sensitive information to encrypted channels or other means.
Sacramento vs. the Encrypted Metros
Sacramento Region
- PD and Sheriff dispatch in the clear
- Live Broadcastify feeds operating
- Tactical/investigative talkgroups encrypted
- Media can monitor breaking news
- Community awareness maintained
San Jose, Oakland, San Diego
- All police talkgroups encrypted
- No public monitoring
- Media relies on PIO statements
- No real-time verification of police accounts
- Scanner access eliminated
The October 2020 DOJ directive
In October 2020, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued a directive requiring agencies to protect personal information transmitted over radio. Agencies could either limit what personal information was shared on open channels or encrypt everything.
Sacramento's major agencies chose the first option for routine traffic, encrypting only tactical and investigative channels. Roughly 100 California agencies chose the second — and went dark.
California DOJ issues directive requiring protection of personal information over radio
Approximately 100 California agencies choose full encryption over policy changes
Senator Becker introduces SB 1000 to limit encryption; bill dies in Assembly committee
Becker re-introduces legislation as SB 719, the Law Enforcement Communications Transparency Act
A CJIS-driven encryption wave takes more California agencies dark (San Diego, Oakland, Berkeley); Sacramento PD and Sheriff dispatch remain in the clear as of June 2026
Why this matters for Sacramento journalism
KCRA, CBS Sacramento, and The Sacramento Bee can still do something newsrooms in San Jose, Oakland, and San Diego no longer can: hear breaking incidents as they unfold and verify official accounts against live radio traffic. In a state capital, that access carries weight beyond the region — protests at the Capitol, statewide policy stories, and major incidents all get covered faster and more independently because the radio is open.
That access is not guaranteed. Encryption decisions elsewhere in California arrived with little or no notice — San Jose flipped the switch overnight in 2020, and Oakland's 2025 encryption surprised its own city council. The risks for Sacramento:
A Quiet Switch
Most California agencies that encrypted did so without public hearings. A radio system upgrade or CJIS compliance review could be the trigger here.
Encryption Creep
Encrypted talkgroups already exist on SRRCS. Moving routine dispatch onto them would require no new infrastructure — only a policy decision.
Regional Pressure
As neighboring regions go dark, fully encrypted operation becomes the default expectation in mutual aid and interoperability planning.
No Statutory Protection
No California law guarantees public radio access. SB 1000 died in 2022; SB 719 stalled. Open dispatch survives on agency policy alone.
The legislative push: SB 719
Senator Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) has been the main legislative voice against blanket encryption in California. After SB 1000 died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in 2022, he came back with SB 719, the Law Enforcement Communications Transparency Act, in 2023.
The bill would require fully encrypted agencies to grant media access to communications. The California News Publishers Association and California Broadcasters Association co-sponsored it, modeled on Colorado's 2020 legislation. SB 719 stalled as a two-year bill, and as of June 2026 no statewide access requirement has become law.
What SB 719 Would Do
- Require encrypted agencies to provide media access to radio communications
- Exempt tactical operations, undercover work, and communications that could jeopardize safety
- Apply to the roughly 100 California agencies reported to have chosen full encryption
- Restore access that existed for nearly a century before the 2020 directive
What's accessible in the Sacramento region
Sacramento has more scanner access than almost any large California metro. As of June 2026 (verify current status at RadioReference):
Sacramento City Police
Main dispatch channels in the clear on SRRCS
Sacramento County Sheriff
Dispatch channels in the clear; encrypted tactical alternates exist
Sacramento Fire / Regional Fire-EMS
Fire and EMS dispatch in the clear on SRRCS
Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt PDs
Suburban departments on or alongside SRRCS — check RadioReference for current talkgroup modes
California Highway Patrol
Analog low-band, in the clear statewide
Live Online Feeds
Broadcastify and independent streams carry Sheriff and City Police dispatch
Lessons from Sacramento
The state directive doesn't require encryption
The 2020 DOJ directive offered two paths. Sacramento's agencies prove a major metro can comply with policy changes and selective encryption — no blackout required.
Selective encryption can coexist with transparency
Tactical and investigative talkgroups are encrypted on SRRCS while routine dispatch stays public. The legitimate security needs are covered.
Legislative fixes move slowly
SB 719 had co-sponsors, press support, and a Colorado precedent — and it stalled anyway. Open access in Sacramento rests on agency policy, not law.
Open regions need defenders before the switch
Every California metro that went dark did so with little warning. The time to lock in transparency commitments is while the radio is still audible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sacramento Police Department scanner encrypted?
No — not for routine traffic. As of June 2026, Sacramento PD's main dispatch channels operate in the clear on the Sacramento Regional Radio Communications System (SRRCS), per the RadioReference database. Investigative and specialized units (criminal intelligence, internal affairs, and similar) use encrypted talkgroups.
Can I still listen to Sacramento County Sheriff on a scanner?
Yes. Sacramento County Sheriff dispatch channels remain in the clear on SRRCS as of June 2026, and live Broadcastify feeds carry both Sheriff and City Police dispatch. Several tactical talkgroups — encrypted alternates to the regular tac channels — are inaccessible to the public.
Why did California police departments start encrypting radios?
In October 2020, the California Department of Justice issued a directive requiring law enforcement to protect personal information transmitted over radio. Agencies could either establish policies limiting what information is shared on open channels, or encrypt. Roughly 100 of California's 700+ agencies have been reported as choosing full encryption — Sacramento's major agencies were not among them.
Is there legislation to restore police scanner access in California?
Senator Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) introduced SB 719, the Law Enforcement Communications Transparency Act, in 2023. It would require fully encrypted agencies to grant media access to communications. The bill stalled as a two-year bill, and as of 2026 no statewide access legislation has passed. Earlier legislation (SB 1000) died in committee in 2022.
Take action in Sacramento
County supervisors oversee the Sheriff; the city council oversees Sacramento PD. Ask both to commit publicly to keeping dispatch in the clear — and press state legislators to revive access legislation like SB 719.