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The Ultimate 2025 Guide To The Butler County Police Scanner: What's Encrypted And What You Can Still Hear

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The world of police scanning in Butler County is more complex than ever in late 2025, largely due to the widespread adoption of modern digital trunked radio systems and increasing use of encryption by law enforcement agencies. Unlike the old days of simple analog frequencies, today's monitoring requires a clear understanding of which county you are in—Butler County, Ohio (OH) or Butler County, Pennsylvania (PA)—as their systems and listening opportunities are vastly different.

This comprehensive guide provides the most current, up-to-date information on the police scanner status for both major Butler Counties, detailing the system changes, the channels that are now encrypted, and the specific talkgroups you can still tune into to hear fire, EMS, and certain law enforcement operations.

The Critical Difference: Ohio vs. Pennsylvania Radio Systems

The most important factor in monitoring public safety in Butler County is knowing the local radio system. Both counties have transitioned to modern, digital, trunked radio networks, which require a specialized digital scanner capable of handling APCO-25 (P25) Phase I and Phase II protocols. The status of law enforcement communication—specifically, whether it is encrypted—is the key difference for listeners.

Butler County, Ohio (OH) Scanner Status: The Post-BRICS Era

In Butler County, Ohio, all public safety agencies have migrated from the older, decommissioned Butler Regional Interoperable Communications System (BRICS) to a new, modern digital trunked radio system.

  • System Status: The BRICS system, an 800 MHz APCO-25 digital network, has been retired. All agencies, including the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, city police in Hamilton and Middletown, and various township departments, have moved to the new infrastructure.
  • Encryption Status: While many sensitive law enforcement channels have moved to encrypted talkgroups, a significant, non-encrypted law dispatch channel remains accessible through live online feeds.
  • Listening Opportunity: The primary non-encrypted law enforcement channel you can still monitor is the Butler County Sheriff Dispatch (Law Dispatch). This talkgroup (TGID 9179) is often the main channel for initial dispatch and routine traffic, making it a critical source for public safety enthusiasts.

Butler County, Pennsylvania (PA) Scanner Status: The ICORRS Network

Butler County, Pennsylvania, is a part of the vast, multi-county Inter County Regional Radio System (ICORRS), a Project 25 Phase II digital trunked system.

  • System Status: The ICORRS system represents a major regional upgrade in public safety communication. As of late 2025, there have been recent updates to the system, including changes to site configurations.
  • Encryption Status: The news for police scanner enthusiasts is challenging: all local police departments in Butler County, PA, use encryption by default on the ICORRS network. This means that direct monitoring of police-to-car communication and sensitive tactical operations is generally impossible for the public.
  • Listening Opportunity: The good news is that the ICORRS system still provides clear, non-encrypted channels for Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). These public safety talkgroups are typically left in the clear for interoperability and public awareness, offering a rich source of real-time activity.

Essential Talkgroups and Frequencies for Butler County Monitoring

To successfully monitor a modern trunked radio system, you don't use a single frequency; instead, you program the system's control channels and then scan for specific Talkgroup IDs (TGIDs). Here are the key entities and talkgroups you should focus on for each county.

Butler County, Ohio (OH) Key Entities and Talkgroups

While the full list of control channels for the new system is extensive and constantly updated, focusing on the main dispatch talkgroups will give you the most action. Remember, you need a P25 digital scanner to monitor these directly.

  • Butler County Sheriff Law Dispatch: TGID 9179 (Non-Encrypted Law Dispatch)
  • Butler County Public Safety: Includes various non-encrypted operations and fire/EMS dispatch.
  • Major City Police Departments: Hamilton Police Department, Middletown Police Department, West Chester Township Police. While their primary dispatch may be encrypted, some car-to-car or secondary operations channels may occasionally be unencrypted, but this is rare.
  • Fire and EMS: All Fire and EMS dispatch and operations channels are typically available in the clear and provide a consistent stream of public safety activity.

Butler County, Pennsylvania (PA) Key Entities and Talkgroups (ICORRS)

Since police communication is heavily encrypted in PA, your best listening experience will come from the Fire and EMS side of the ICORRS system. The system utilizes Project 25 Phase II technology.

  • Butler County Fire and EMS Dispatch: The main dispatch channels for all fire and ambulance services across the county are generally non-encrypted.
  • ICORRS System Talkgroups: Look for talkgroups categorized as "Butler Co EMS" and "Butler Co Fire" in scanner databases. These are essential for monitoring emergencies.
  • Butler County Emergency Management Agency (EMA): These channels are often unencrypted and are crucial during severe weather events or major incidents.
  • Local Police Departments: Departments like Butler Township Police Department and others are now primarily encrypted.

How to Listen: Digital Scanners vs. Live Feeds

The transition to digital and encrypted communications has fundamentally changed how the public can access scanner traffic. Your approach depends on your location and budget.

1. The Digital Scanner Hardware Requirement

To hear the non-encrypted talkgroups directly over the air in either Butler County (OH or PA), you must own a modern digital trunking scanner. These devices are significantly more expensive than older analog models but are essential for decoding the P25 digital signal used by both the new Ohio system and the Pennsylvania ICORRS network.

  • Scanner Type: Look for scanners that explicitly support P25 Phase I and Phase II.
  • Programming: Programming is complex. You must enter the system's control channel frequencies, the system type (P25 Trunked), and then the specific talkgroup IDs (TGIDs) you wish to monitor, such as TGID 9179 for the Butler County, OH Sheriff's Dispatch.

2. The Live Audio Feed Solution (The Easiest Way)

For most people, the simplest and most cost-effective way to listen is through online live audio feeds. Dedicated volunteers use digital scanners to stream the non-encrypted traffic to the internet.

  • Broadcastify and Similar Services: Platforms like Broadcastify host live audio feeds for both Butler County, OH, and Butler County, PA.
  • What You Hear: These feeds typically focus on the non-encrypted public safety channels, such as Fire, EMS, and the non-encrypted Sheriff/Law Dispatch channels. For Butler County, PA, this is predominantly Fire/EMS. For Butler County, OH, this includes the Sheriff's Law Dispatch.
  • Limitation: You will not hear any fully encrypted communication, regardless of the platform. If a specific police department has all its channels encrypted, it will not be available on a live feed.

The Future of Butler County Scanner Monitoring

The trend toward encryption in law enforcement communication is a national one, driven by the need to protect sensitive tactical information and officer safety. The migration of Butler County, Ohio, from BRICS and the full implementation of ICORRS in Butler County, Pennsylvania, confirm this shift.

For the dedicated scanner enthusiast, the focus must shift from blanket police monitoring to specialized listening. By concentrating on the key non-encrypted talkgroups—especially Fire, EMS, and the accessible Sheriff's Dispatch in Ohio—you can still maintain a high level of situational awareness regarding public safety events in both Butler Counties. Staying updated on scanner database sites like RadioReference is crucial, as talkgroups and system configurations (like the 2025 update to the ICORRS site) can change rapidly.

The Ultimate 2025 Guide to the Butler County Police Scanner: What's Encrypted and What You Can Still Hear
butler county police scanner
butler county police scanner

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