Boulder County, Colo. - Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a month-long trial of our primary radio system to evaluate use of the statewide 800 MHz digital radio network. The trial is currently underway and is expected to conclude by June 26, 2026.

During this trial, law enforcement radio traffic dispatched by the Boulder County Communications Center will not be broadcast over the older VHF radio channels commonly heard on traditional radio scanners. This includes the primary law enforcement channels for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Erie Police Department, Lafayette Police Department, and Louisville Police Department.

As a result, members of the public and media who monitor these channels using scanners will temporarily be unable to hear routine law enforcement radio traffic on those VHF frequencies.

While scanner access to the VHF law channels will be unavailable during the trial period, the Sheriff’s Office will continue providing LAW and FIRE radio audio streams online through Broadcastify.

This trial is part of an evaluation of the statewide 800 MHz digital radio system currently used by many public safety agencies across Colorado. The newer system provides enhanced capabilities for first responders, including improved radio identification, emergency alert notifications for law enforcement officers in distress, and more seamless radio coverage across the county without the need to manually switch channels.

If operational needs require it during a major incident or emergency, we can temporarily restore the connection to the VHF channels.

The trial is intended to evaluate system performance, radio coverage, and operational effectiveness before any future decisions are made regarding radio operations.