Cleveland’s $18M Police Radio Overhaul: What It Means

In July 2026, Cleveland City Council approved an $18 million overhaul of its police radio and dispatch system — a major modernization of public-safety communications that, notably for scanner listeners, does not include encrypting dispatch channels. That means the city’s radio traffic should stay audible on a pre-programmed police scanner even as its 2012-era radios are replaced. Here is what changes, what stays the same, and why this “upgrade without going dark” stands out in a year when many agencies have locked their airwaves down.

What Cleveland Is Buying With $18 Million

The package breaks into two big pieces. The largest share — $13 million — covers 1,840 new portable radios for police, firefighters, EMS and animal control. These are not your grandfather’s two-way radios: the units work more like smartphones, receive dispatch alerts and can GPS-track officer locations.

The remaining $4.25 million funds a new computer-aided dispatch and records system that lets officers issue digital tickets instead of paper ones. Together, the two upgrades replace equipment that, per deputy commissioner for public safety IT Larry Jones, dates back to 2012 and is no longer supported by the manufacturer.

The Biggest Shift for Listeners: Dispatch Stays Open

The headline for scanner owners is what is not in the plan. No encryption of dispatch channels was announced, so Cleveland residents should keep hearing police, fire and EMS dispatch traffic on their scanners. In an age when agencies across the country are quietly flipping to encrypted P25 and cutting listeners out, that is the exception, not the rule.

Why “Upgrade Without Encryption” Stands Out in 2026

Across the U.S., jurisdictions have justified encryption with familiar arguments — officer safety, privacy, and security of tactical channels. That wave has pushed many police radio channels dark. Cleveland’s decision to modernize while keeping dispatch open is a deliberately different call: it upgrades the technology without sacrificing the public’s ability to hear what its emergency responders are doing.

What Joining Chagrin Valley Dispatch Means

Cleveland will also plug into the Chagrin Valley Dispatch network, which already spans 31 suburbs, the Metroparks and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff. Interconnecting with that network lets departments share information more easily during mutual-aid incidents — while keeping the shared dispatch traffic on open channels that listeners can monitor.

Why Scanner Listeners Should Care

For anyone who monitors public safety radio — newsrooms, hobbyists, preppers, and curious residents alike — Cleveland is a useful case study. Modern dispatch technology and open radio channels are not mutually exclusive. When a large city chooses to spend real money on better radios while preserving public access, it provides a template for other agencies weighing the same decision.

FAQ

Will Cleveland police radios stay unencrypted?

Nothing in the $18 million plan encrypts dispatch channels. As announced, dispatch traffic should remain audible to scanner listeners, a notable contrast with agencies that have gone dark in 2026.

How old are the radios being replaced?

Per deputy commissioner for public safety IT Larry Jones, the current radios date to 2012 and are no longer supported by the manufacturer.

How many new radios is Cleveland buying?

The package funds 1,840 new portable radios for police, firefighters, EMS and animal control.

What else is in the $18 million plan?

It includes $4.25 million for a new computer-aided dispatch and records system that lets officers issue digital tickets instead of paper ones.

What is Chagrin Valley Dispatch?

A dispatch network spanning 31 suburbs, the Metroparks and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff that Cleveland will join to share information more easily during mutual-aid incidents.

If dispatch stays open, do I need a special scanner?

A standard pre-programmed police scanner will pick up open dispatch traffic in the city and region. Encryption, if it were ever added, is the factor that blocks consumer scanners — and it is not part of this announcement.

Bottom line: Cleveland is spending $18 million to replace obsolete radios and upgrade dispatch — and keeping the channels open. For scanner listeners, it is a rare win in a year of agency-wide encryption.