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A lone pedestrian on a quiet residential street at dusk stops to check a smartphone, soft porch lights glowing in the background — a documentary-style scene evoking how false mobile alerts reach people at home.

CrimeRadar AI False Alerts: Verify Before You S...

CrimeRadar keeps pushing false AI crime alerts, from Streetsboro to Waco. Learn why police say to verify before you share — and how to hear dispatch directly.

CrimeRadar AI False Alerts: Verify Before You S...

CrimeRadar keeps pushing false AI crime alerts, from Streetsboro to Waco. Learn why police say to verify before you share — and how to hear dispatch directly.

New York State Capitol in Albany at dusk as the Assembly passed a revised police radio access bill

NY Assembly Passes Revised Police Radio Access ...

New York Assembly passed a revised police radio access bill giving journalists encrypted feeds, but the NYPD is carved out. What it means for scanners.

NY Assembly Passes Revised Police Radio Access ...

New York Assembly passed a revised police radio access bill giving journalists encrypted feeds, but the NYPD is carved out. What it means for scanners.

Harford County, MD sheriff's office station exterior at dusk after the agency encrypted its patrol radio under FBI CJIS policy

Harford County MD Police Radio Encryption: Scan...

Harford County, MD sheriff patrol radio is now encrypted under FBI CJIS policy, silencing Maryland police scanners. See what you can still hear in 2026.

Harford County MD Police Radio Encryption: Scan...

Harford County, MD sheriff patrol radio is now encrypted under FBI CJIS policy, silencing Maryland police scanners. See what you can still hear in 2026.

Wide dusk shot of a quiet suburban Midwest street with a single distant parked police cruiser near a low civic building, flat prairie sky

Westcom Encryption: Des Moines Metro Scanners G...

Westcom encrypted police, fire, and EMS dispatch across six Des Moines-area cities, silencing scanners. Here's why it happened — and how to stay informed.

Westcom Encryption: Des Moines Metro Scanners G...

Westcom encrypted police, fire, and EMS dispatch across six Des Moines-area cities, silencing scanners. Here's why it happened — and how to stay informed.

Wide dusk shot of a low police headquarters building in a desert city with a distant parked patrol cruiser, long shadows across an empty lot

Tucson PD Goes Fully Encrypted: Arizona Scanner...

Tucson PD encrypted all police radios in April 2026, going fully dark on scanners. See what the city's dashboard offers instead — and how to keep listening.

Tucson PD Goes Fully Encrypted: Arizona Scanner...

Tucson PD encrypted all police radios in April 2026, going fully dark on scanners. See what the city's dashboard offers instead — and how to keep listening.

An empty palm-lined beach town street near the South Carolina coast with a distant police cruiser, as Horry County police dispatch goes fully encrypted in 2026

Horry County Police Encryption: Myrtle Beach Sc...

Horry County police encryption silenced Myrtle Beach scanner feeds on the Grand Strand. Why it happened without a council vote, and what listeners lost.

Horry County Police Encryption: Myrtle Beach Sc...

Horry County police encryption silenced Myrtle Beach scanner feeds on the Grand Strand. Why it happened without a council vote, and what listeners lost.

Shop Pre-Programmed Police Scanners

Short answer: every scanner here ships programmed to your zip code. We load the local police, fire, EMS and weather frequencies by hand before it leaves us, so there is no cable, no software and nothing to set up, and listening needs no FCC license.

Short answer: pick the radio and we do the rest. We load your police, fire, EMS and weather frequencies from your zip code by hand before it ships, so there is no cable, no software and nothing to set up, and listening needs no FCC license.

Every scanner here ships programmed to your zip code. Tell us the area you want to hear, and we load the local police, fire, EMS, and weather frequencies by hand before it leaves us. No cable, no software, no setup — turn it on and press scan.

Programmed by hand

Your zip code specifically — not a generic regional preset.

Free US shipping

Included on every order, anywhere in the United States.

No license needed

Listening requires no FCC license and no radio experience.

We check first

Send your zip and we'll tell you what's actually receivable there.

Which one is right for you?

Buying your first scanner? The UV-5R. Proven, affordable, and does everything most people need.
Want it pocket-sized? The UV-5R Mini. Same core capability, USB-C charging.
Want the widest coverage? The K5 Plus. Adds airband and 1.25M reception, bigger battery.

Before you order, let us check your area

Most US counties still run analog on at least some public safety channels. A growing number have moved to encrypted or digital P25 systems that no analog scanner can receive — at any price.

Send us your zip code and we'll tell you honestly what's receivable where you live. We'd rather turn down a sale than ship you a radio that can't hear your county.

New to this? Read What Can You Hear on a Police Scanner? or the Ultimate Scanner Guide.

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