Boone County 911 Plans P25 Encryption: Columbia MO Scanners at Risk

Columbia, Missouri — one of the last mid-sized cities where police and sheriff dispatch still crackles across open VHF airwaves — is on the verge of going dark. Boone County Joint Communications (BCJC), the 911 center that dispatches police, fire, and EMS for Columbia and surrounding Boone County, has announced a planned upgrade to an 800 MHz P25 trunked radio system. And buried in the announcement is a warning for scanner listeners: the city is looking at being able to encrypt all channels once the new system goes live.

For now, BCJC Director Christie Davis confirmed to KOMU that county radios "are not encrypted" today and that dispatch information such as addresses can still be heard by anyone with a police scanner. But the upgrade roadmap makes clear that open access has an expiration date.

The Boone County 911 Upgrade Plan

At a Boone County Commission meeting held Friday, August 7, 2026, top public safety officials from the City of Columbia, Columbia Public Schools, and the University of Missouri presented a joint plan to replace BCJC’s aging VHF radio infrastructure with a modern 800 MHz trunked system. According to KOMU’s reporting, the new system will double channel capacity and add dedicated talkgroups for each participating agency.

The project is funded by a voter-approved sales tax dating back to 2013, which has accumulated reserves earmarked for this exact purpose. In October 2025 the county also launched a radio grant program to help smaller agencies within Boone County purchase compatible radios ahead of the transition, as noted in a county press release.

“All Channels” Encryption — What We Know

The critical detail for scanner enthusiasts came directly from Director Davis. While current VHF operations remain fully in the clear, she told KOMU that “the city is looking at being able to encrypt all channels” on the new 800 MHz system. The stated rationale includes responder safety and the protection of victim and witness information broadcast over the air.

Although no formal timeline for encryption has been set, the announcement follows a well-established national pattern: a digital infrastructure upgrade provides the technical on-ramp for universal encryption. Once the P25 system is live, flipping the encryption switch is a software configuration change — not a hardware upgrade.

Timeline: When Does VHF Go Dark?

The county’s press release states the new 800 MHz system will replace the current VHF network “in mid- to late-2026.” While scanner-community sources on RadioReference identify the new build as a P25 Phase 2 system — KOMU’s reporting renders it as “P85,” likely a transcription variance — the practical effect for listeners is the same: a move from easily monitored analog VHF to a digital trunked system that can (and likely will) lock out public access.

For now, Columbia-area listeners can still hear Boone County Sheriff’s Office and Columbia Police on their current VHF frequencies. The window is narrowing.

What Columbia-Area Listeners Will Lose

Boone County is home to the University of Missouri, a major state university campus where scanner listeners have historically tracked campus police, fire responses, and emergency coordination during severe weather and football Saturdays. Once encryption is enabled on the new system:

• Boone County Sheriff dispatch — gone
• Columbia Police Department dispatch — gone
• MU Police Department talkgroups — likely encrypted
• Fire and EMS — status unclear; Davis’s comments specifically referenced city law enforcement channels

If fire and EMS remain in the clear on the new system, listeners will still hear those responses — but the law enforcement half of the radio spectrum will go silent.

The National Pattern: Digital Upgrade + Encryption

The Boone County story is the clearest recent example of what scanner advocates call the “digital upgrade + encryption” one-two punch. It has played out in jurisdictions across the country, from Loudoun County, Virginia to Fairfax County and scores of others in between. The pattern is always the same: an aging radio system needs replacement, the new digital system offers encryption as a standard feature, and public safety agencies choose to turn it on.

What makes Boone County noteworthy is that the director herself acknowledged the encryption plan during a public commission meeting — giving listeners rare advance notice rather than a silent overnight switch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still hear Boone County police on a scanner right now?

Yes. BCJC currently operates on VHF frequencies in the clear. If you have a scanner that covers VHF high band, you can hear Boone County Sheriff, Columbia Police, and other dispatched agencies today.

When will the encryption take effect?

No firm date has been set. The 800 MHz P25 system is expected to go live in mid- to late-2026. Encryption is planned as part of that transition, but the county has not announced an exact switchover date.

Will fire and EMS also be encrypted?

Director Davis’s comments specifically referenced city law enforcement channels. The encryption status of fire and EMS dispatches on the new system has not been detailed.

What kind of scanner do I need for the new 800 MHz system?

The new system is a P25 Phase 2 trunked system, which requires a digital scanner compatible with 800 MHz P25 Phase 2. If the channels are encrypted, no consumer scanner will be able to receive them — regardless of model.

Is there anything Columbia-area listeners can do?

Yes. Those concerned about losing access can attend Boone County Commission meetings, contact their county commissioner, and follow the public record as the project proceeds. Several scanner-advocacy groups also track encryption proposals nationwide.

Are other Missouri counties encrypting too?

Several Missouri jurisdictions have moved toward encryption in recent years. The pattern varies by county, but Boone County’s upgrade is one of the most clearly documented public transitions in the state.

Bottom line: Columbia and Boone County are the latest community where a routine radio system upgrade doubles as an encryption gateway. Listeners still have time — the VHF channels are live today — but the window for open-air police dispatch in mid-Missouri is closing. If you scan in Boone County, now is the moment to pay attention, while you can still hear what is happening on the air.