Muskegon County Police Dispatch Goes Dark Under Encryption
Muskegon County, Michigan's primary police dispatch is migrating to an encrypted channel on the statewide MPSCS P25 system — and the county's biggest public monitoring feed says it will likely go silent with no announced way for the public to keep listening. As of Sept. 8, 2026, the feed was still online, so the switch is happening in real time.
What the Feed Note Says
The Broadcastify "Muskegon County Police Dispatch" feed carries a blunt warning: "When the migration is complete, this feed will likely be silent then removed. At this time, there is no indication of the public being able to listen to police dispatch after migration." The feed relays MPSCS talkgroups 3902 (61P911A) and 23186 (61P911B).
Much of the Traffic Was Already Encrypted
Even before this migration, car-to-car, LEIN and tactical traffic were already permanently encrypted on the MPSCS system. What is changing now is that the primary 911 dispatch channels — the last public-facing window into county police work — are following the same path.
The Migration Is Happening Right Now
As of September 8, 2026 the public dispatch feed was still online with more than 30 listeners and roughly nine days of uptime — meaning listeners are watching the channel go quiet in real time. RadioReference community posts in the MPSCS 2026 thread put the encryption effective date at August 27, 2026, though that is community-reported rather than confirmed by an agency release.
Why This Matters for West Michigan Listeners
Scanner listeners in West Michigan stand to lose live county dispatch with no public alternative announced. Muskegon is the latest example of the encryption wave that has already taken Michigan State Police and Oakland County dark — once a dispatch channel encrypts, consumer scanners have no way to follow it.
For listeners who still have open channels nearby, a pre-programmed scanner is the fastest way to stay connected before the next agency follows suit.
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FAQ
Why is Muskegon County police dispatch going dark?
Primary 911 dispatch is migrating to an encrypted channel on the statewide MPSCS P25 system. The county's main public monitoring feed says it will likely be silent and then removed once the migration is complete.
What is MPSCS?
The Michigan Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS) is the statewide P25 trunked radio network. When talkgroups are encrypted, consumer scanners cannot decode them.
When does the Muskegon County encryption take effect?
RadioReference community posts in the MPSCS 2026 thread put the encryption effective date at August 27, 2026, though this is community-reported rather than confirmed by an agency release. As of Sept. 8, the public feed was still online.
Can I still listen to Muskegon County police after migration?
The feed note states there is "no indication of the public being able to listen to police dispatch after migration." That effectively leaves listeners without a live county dispatch option.
What talkgroups were on the Muskegon County feed?
The feed relayed MPSCS talkgroups 3902 (61P911A) and 23186 (61P911B). Car-to-car, LEIN and tactical traffic were already permanently encrypted before this migration.
Bottom line: Muskegon County's police dispatch is migrating to encryption with no public monitoring path announced — the latest West Michigan county to go dark. Wherever channels remain open, they may not stay that way.
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