Sacramento Police Scanner: A Tale of Two Agencies
In California's capital, the county sheriff went dark while city police maintained partial access. What happens when neighboring agencies take opposite approaches?
Key Facts
Two agencies, opposite choices
Sacramento County Sheriff fully encrypted most communications on the regional P25 system. Sacramento Police Department, serving the city proper, kept main dispatch channels open. Two agencies covering overlapping geography made opposite decisions in response to the same 2020 DOJ directive.
The practical result: whether an incident gets public radio coverage now depends entirely on which side of a jurisdictional line it falls on. A car chase that starts in the city and crosses into unincorporated county territory disappears from public monitoring mid-pursuit.
"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
Sacramento County Sheriff: full encryption
Sacramento County Sheriff's Office covers unincorporated Sacramento County and contracts with Rancho Cordova and Isleton. The department has roughly 1,900 deputies and staff, making it one of the larger agencies in the Central Valley.
The Sheriff operates on the Sacramento Regional Radio Communications System (SRRCS), a P25 digital system that underwent a multi-year upgrade beginning in 2013. Database verification confirmed at least 18 encrypted talkgroups on the system, blocking public access to:
Standard calls for service, response to 911 calls, and officer assignments
SWAT, Special Enforcement Division, and high-risk warrant service
Sheriff's helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft operations
Multi-agency response and mutual aid communications
Sacramento Police Department: partial access remains
Sacramento PD went a different direction after the 2020 DOJ directive. Main dispatch channels stayed open while tactical operations and sensitive communications were encrypted—the same approach CHP took statewide.
Scanner users, journalists, and residents can still monitor routine city police operations. That access has limits, but it hasn't been eliminated.
Sacramento's Split System
Sacramento PD (City)
- Main dispatch channels open
- Basic incident response accessible
- Tactical channels encrypted
- Media can monitor breaking news
- Community awareness maintained
Sacramento County Sheriff
- 18+ talkgroups encrypted
- Routine dispatch blocked
- No public monitoring
- Media relies on PIO
- Transparency 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 PD chose the first option. The Sheriff chose the second. That choice, made by two neighboring agencies in response to the same document, explains the region's current split.
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
Sacramento County Sheriff confirmed with 18+ encrypted talkgroups on SRRCS P25
Impact on Sacramento journalism
KCRA, CBS Sacramento, and The Sacramento Bee all relied on scanner access for breaking news. The split approach creates a practical problem for those newsrooms: a reporter monitoring city frequencies can track the beginning of an incident, then lose the picture entirely once it crosses jurisdictional lines or sheriff deputies respond.
Sacramento is also the state capital. Incidents here often have policy significance beyond the region. Incomplete radio access limits that coverage for the state's press corps, not just local outlets.
Breaking News Delays
Journalists covering county areas must wait for official statements, often missing critical early moments of developing stories.
Jurisdictional Confusion
Incidents spanning city and county boundaries create information gaps as coverage shifts between accessible and encrypted communications.
State Capitol Coverage
As California's capital, Sacramento events often have statewide significance. Limited access affects journalism beyond the region.
Accountability Gaps
Sheriff's operations affecting 1.5 million residents occur without the real-time public oversight that city police still have.
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 within 30 days of a request. The California News Publishers Association and California Broadcasters Association co-sponsor it. The model comes from Colorado's 2020 legislation, which passed and has held up since.
What SB 719 Would Do
- Require encrypted agencies to provide media access to radio communications within 30 days
- Exempt tactical operations, undercover work, and communications that could jeopardize safety
- Apply to the approximately 100 California agencies that chose full encryption
- Restore the access that existed for nearly a century before the 2020 directive
Staffing strain and reduced oversight
Sacramento County Sheriff is 194 deputies below where it stood 20 years ago, despite population growth. The department is under a consent decree related to jail conditions. Vacancies are significant.
Fewer deputies covering more calls, under a consent decree, with no public radio monitoring—that's the combination Sacramento County residents are now living with.
Sacramento County Sheriff: By the Numbers
- Budget: Over $700 million annually
- Staff: Approximately 1,900 deputies and personnel
- Deficit: 194 fewer deputies than 20 years ago
- Coverage: Unincorporated Sacramento County plus Rancho Cordova and Isleton
- System: Sacramento Regional Radio Communications System (SRRCS) P25
With fewer resources and less public oversight, the combination raises serious questions about accountability in the region's largest law enforcement agency.
What's still accessible
Sacramento has more scanner access than most large California metros. These agencies remain at least partially open:
Sacramento City Police
Main dispatch channels remain open for public monitoring
Sacramento City Fire
Fire and EMS dispatch generally accessible on SRRCS
Citrus Heights PD
Independent department with varying accessibility
Elk Grove PD
Independent department since 2006
Folsom PD
Accessible on the P25 system
Galt PD
Smaller agency on SRRCS
Lessons from Sacramento
State directives don't require encryption
The 2020 DOJ directive offered two paths. Sacramento PD chose policies; the Sheriff chose encryption. The directive did not mandate either.
Neighboring agencies can make opposite choices
City and county agencies responding to the same directive landed on different sides. Residents get different transparency depending on which side of a line they live on.
Legislative fixes move slowly
SB 719 has co-sponsors, press support, and a Colorado precedent—and it's still fighting through committee. Administrative pressure and policy changes move faster than legislation.
Fragmented access creates coverage gaps
When city agencies keep dispatch open and county encrypts, journalists get half a story. Regional consistency matters as much as individual agency policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sacramento Police Department scanner encrypted?
Sacramento Police Department maintains a partial encryption approach. Main dispatch channels remain open to the public, while tactical channels and sensitive operations are encrypted. This hybrid model allows basic scanner monitoring while protecting certain communications.
Can I still listen to Sacramento County Sheriff on a scanner?
Sacramento County Sheriff has encrypted most law enforcement communications on the Sacramento Regional Radio Communications System (SRRCS). At least 18 encrypted talkgroups exist on the P25 system, blocking public access to sheriff operations, including routine dispatch and tactical communications.
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 all communications. Approximately 100 of California's 700+ agencies chose full encryption.
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, which would require encrypted agencies to grant media access to communications within 30 days. The bill has passed the Senate but faces opposition in the Assembly. Similar legislation (SB 1000) died in committee in 2022.
Take action in Sacramento
County supervisors control the Sheriff's policy. City council members can push Sacramento PD to maintain its partial access. SB 719 needs constituent pressure to move in the Assembly.