theLawShack.com - Police Codes

PHONETIC ALPHABET

when using the police radio some letters sound very much alike, such as "D" and "E" "B" and "C" and so on. so the phonetic alphabet was devised. there are two common versions of the phonetic alphabet, the one used most commonly in law enforcement is listed first, and then the one commonly used by military is listed second.

A..........ADAM	J..........JOHN	S..........SAM
B..........BOY	K.........KING	T..........TOM
C..........CHARLES	L..........LINCOLN	U..........UNION
D..........DAVID	M.........MARY	V..........VICTOR
E..........EDWARD	N..........NORA	W.........WILLIAM
F..........FRANK	O..........OCEAN	X..........X-RAY
G..........GEORGE	P..........PAUL	Y..........YELLOW
H..........HENRY	Q.........QUEEN	Z..........ZEBRA
I...........IDA	R..........ROBERT

A second version of the phonetic alphabet mostly used by the us military

A.....Alpha	J.....Juliet	S.....Sierra
B.....Bravo	K.....Kilo	T.....Tango
C.....Charlie	L.....Lima	U.....Uniform
D.....Delta	M....Mike	V.....Victor
E.....Echo	N.....November	W....Whiskey
F.....Foxtrot	O.....Oscar	X.....X-Ray
G.....Golf	P......Papa	Y.....Yankee
H.....Hotel	Q.....Quebec	Z.....Zulu
I......India	R.....Romeo

900 CODES (9 CODES)

When using the radio it is important to keep the radio traffic to a minimum, so a series of numeric codes was devised. Please note that these codes are not 100% universal. Also keep in mind that sometimes the 10, or the 11 will be dropped from the code to minimize on the air time. (Example: I need a 27 on John Smith = I need to know John Smith's driver's license info [10-27]) Also keep in mind that sometimes these codes are joined together with other codes to make a sentence shorter

900	Radio Silence
901	Accident
904	Message Received
908	Out of Service
909	In Service
910	Prowler
910A	Prowler (Still on Scene)
911	Vehicle Stop
912	Suspicious Person
916	Domestic
917	Drinking in public
918	Person Screaming for Help
922	Drunk Person
923	Stand By
924	Go to Station
926	Your Location
927	Repeat Your Last Transmission
935	Registration Inquiry
936	Stolen Vehicle Inquiry
937	Wanted Person Inquiry
938	Cancel
939	Wanted Use Caution
940	Meet Officer At...
945	Ambulance Needed
946	Tow Truck Needed
947	Fire Truck Needed
950	Take a Report
971	Be On the Look Out (for)
999	Officer Needs HELP

10 CODES

------X	Signifies a Female Is Involved
10-1	Receiving Poorly
10-2	Receiving well
10-3	Radio Check
10-4	Message Received
10-6	Busy
10-7	Out of Service
10-8	In Service
10-9	Repeat Last Message
10-10	Off Duty
10-11	Send Back up
10-13	Emergency Back Up
10-15	Prisoner
10-15X	Female Prisoner
10-18	Report Information Needed
10-19	Go to Station
10-20	Location
10-21	Phone Call
10-22	Cancel Last Message
10-23	Stand By
10-27	Check License Status
10-28	Check Registration Status
10-29	Check For Warrants / Wants
10-33	EMERGENCY RADIO TRAFFIC ONLY
10-34	Cancel 10-33
10-36	Confidential Information Follows
10-36 A	USE CAUTION Suspect has AIDS or other dangerous disease
10-36 M	Suspect Has A Misdemeanor Warrant
10-36 F	Suspect Has Felony Warrant
10-97	Arriving at Assignment
10-98	Assignment Complete

11 CODES

11-10	Take a Report
11-19	In route to Station
11-41	Ambulance Needed
11-44	Dead Body (either human or animal)
11-55	Suspicious Vehicle
11-57	Suspicious Person
11-48	Provide Transportation
11-80	Accident with Major Injuries
11-81	Accident with Minor Injuries
11-82	Accident with Property Damage
11-83	Accident No Details
11-85	Tow Truck Needed
11-98	Meet Officer At....
11-99*	OFFICER IN DANGER, NEED HELP NOW!!!

*There is a difference between a Code 9 and an 11-99. When an officer calls for a code 9 that basically a call for assistance, or to come watch his back When an officer calls for an 11-99 that means he/she is in immediate danger of being killed or having great injury inflicted upon them. An 11-99 will get officers coming code 3 from surrounding cities/agencies/counties, and even if there is a military police presence they'll come too. It would not be uncommon for officers form agencies as far as 10-20 miles away to come as well.

CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL RADIO CODES

STANDARD 10 CODES LISTED ABOVE EXCEPT FOR:

10-11	Give FCC Mobile ID
10-30	Improper Use Of Radio
10-31	Attempt Suicide
10-35	Back Up Unit At Once
10-36	Confidential Information
10-36A	Subject Maybe Armed Use Caution
10-37	Correct Time
11-27	Check Driver's License
11-66	Traffic Signal Not Working
11-86	Bomb Threat
11-87	Bomb Found

ACRONYM CODES

Just like in the military everything has an acronym

A.D.W.	Assault With A Deadly Weapon
A.K.A.	Also Known As
A.O.D.	Assist Another Department
B.A.	Burglar Alarm
B.A.C.	Blood Alcohol Content
B & E	Breaking and Entering (Not Normally Used anymore, see Burglary)
B.O.L.	Be On the Lookout (for)
C.A.D.	Computer Aided Dispatching
C.C.W.	Carry Concealed Weapon (permit)
C.H.P.	California Highway Patrol (Chipie)
C.L.E.T.S.	California Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (Statewide computer data base to check for active warrants, stolen property, license status, and restraining orders.)
C.O.N.	Call of Nature (bathroom break)
C.V.C.	California Vehicle Code (V.C.)
C.P.	Command Post
C.R.A.S.H.	Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (former LAPD anti-gang team)
C.Y.A.	California Youth Authority / Cover your @$$
D.O.A.	Dead On Arrival
D.O.B.	Date of Birth
D.O.J.	Department of Justice
D.L.	Driver's License
D.P.S.	Department of Public Safety
D.U.I.	Driving Under the Influence
D.W.I.	Driving while intoxicated (no longer used see DUI)
E.M.T.	Emergency Medical Technician (Paramedic)
E.O.W.	End of Watch (date of death or off duty)
E.P.O.	Emergency Protection Order (Emergency Restraining Order)
E.T.A.	Estimated Time of Arrival
F.I.	Field Interview / Field Interrogation
F.L.I.R.	Forward Looking InfraRed (A device used to "see" heat rather then light)
F.S.T.	Field Sobertiy Test
F.T.A.	Failure to Appear (in court)
F.Y.I.	For Your Information
G.B.H.	Great Bodily Harm
G.B.I.	Great Bodily Injury
G.O.A.	Gone On Arrival
G.S.W.	Gun Shot Wound
G.T.A.	Grand Theft Auto (Not used officially anymore. See 10851 CVC)
H.B.D.	Has Been Drinking (alcohol)
H & S	Illegal Narcotics / Drugs (refers to the Health and Safety portion of California Law )
I.C.C.	Incident Command Center
M.O.	Method of Operation (the way a person usually does things)
M.V.A.	Motor Vehicle Accident
N.C.I.C.	National Crime Information Center (Computer database similar to CLETS except it is on the nationwide level)
O.C.	Oleoresin Capsicum (pepper spray)
O.I.C.	Officer In Charge
P.A.S.	Preliminary Alcohol Screener
P.C.	Penal Code / Probable Cause
P.I.T. Maneuver	Pursuit Intervention Technique
P.N.O.	Planned Non Operation (of motor vehicle)
P.O.P. Team	Problem Orientated Policing (Usually an anti-gang team)
R.O.	Registered Owner
R.P.	Reporting Person
S.W.A.T.	Special Weapons And Tactics
T.A.	Traffic Accident
T.C.	Traffic Collision
V.C.	Vehicle Code (CVC)

MISC. CODES, TERMS, and SLANG

Code 1	Respond at your convenience
Code 2	Priority Call respond immediately
Code 3	Emergency call, respond with lights and siren
Code 4	Situation under control
Code 5	Stake out
Code 6	Coffee break
Code 7	Meal break
Code 8	At my residence
Code 9	Officer needs assistance
Code 33	EMERGENCY RADIO TRAFFIC ONLY (10-33)
Code Blue	Cardiac arrest (Heart Attack)
13-69	Person that has history of acting like a jerk or resisting officers
Beat	Area an officer is assigned to patrol, and answer calls for service.
Burg	Burglary
Cite	Citation (ticket)
Crank	Refers to the illegal drug methamphtamine (a.k.a. meth, speed, ice)
Dime Bag	$10 worth of narcotics
Deuce	Drunk
Foot pursuit	Chasing suspect on foot
K-9	Dog
Land Shark	Guard Dog/Viscous Dog
Leg Bail	Running away on foot
Nickel Bag	$5 worth of narcotics
Pending Master File	General means that DMV is holding vehicle registration until person pays fees, or shows proof of insurance to DMV
Verbal	Warning
Wire	Concealed microphone

CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE

Since the Penal Code is so extensive I can only list a few of the more common ones that you are most likely to hear on your scanner.

148(a)(1)	Delaying the duties of a peace officer, or EMT
148.9	Providing false information to any peace officer
187	Murder
191.5	Gross vehicular manslaughter
192	Manslaughter
207	Kidnapping
211	Robbery
215	Carjacking
240	Assault
242	Battery
243(e)(1)	Committing battery against a person that lives with you.
245	Assault with a deadly weapon
246	Discharge of a firearm at an inhabited dwelling. (Drive-by shooting)
261	Rape
261.5	Unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor
273.5	Domestic violence
290	Convicted sex offender required to register with local law enforcement
415	Disturbing the peace / Fighting
422	Making threats to commit G.B.H., or death
451	Arson
459	Burglary
470	Forgery
487	Grand theft (Theft of money or property more then $400.00)
488	Petty theft (Theft of money or property of $399.99 or less)
594	Vandalism
601	Missing person / runaway (This is a Welfare and Institutions Code)
602	Trespassing
647(f)	Public intoxication
653m	Making obscene or threatening phone calls.
664	Attempt to commit a crime (used in conjunction with a penal or vehicle code i.e. 664/10851 is attempted vehicle theft)
5150	Person Person with a mental disabilty
12020	Possession of illegal weapon
12025	Concealed weapon l

CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE

When Law enforcement officials use the CVC you will most likely hear it sometimes broken down into sections which makes it easier to remember, and to say over the radio. (Example: Section 12500 CVC would be broken down to 12-5, (or 12-500) and section 23152 CVC would be said 23-1-52.

2800.1	Evading peace officer
4000(A)	No evidence of vehicle registration
10851	Vehicle theft
12500(a)	Driving without a valid license
12500(b)	Driving a motorcycle without proper license
12951	Driving without license in possession
14601(a)	Driving with a suspended license
16028	Failure to provide proof of insurance
20001	Hit and run with death or injury
20002	Hit and run with property damage
21212	Bicycle rider under 18 required to wear approved helmet
21461	Must obey sign
21462	Failure to obey posted sign
21806	Drivers must yield right of way to emergency vehicle with emergency light activated.
22348(b)	Exceeding 100 MPH (naughty, naughty!)
22349	Exceeding maximum posted speed limit
22350	Exceeding safe speed for conditions / posted
22400	Driving so slow as to block normal flow of traffic
22450	Must stop at stop sign
23103	Reckless Driving
23109(c)	Exhibition of speed or power
23116	No passengers allowed in cargo area of open pick up truck, unless properly restrained.l
23117	Animals must be restrained in cargo area of pickup truck.
23136	Minor driving with BAC greater than .01 percent measured by a PAS
23140	Minor driving with a BAC greater then .05 percent
23152	Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
23153	Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and causing injury, or death
24400	Headlight out
24409(a)	Must dim high beams to on coming traffic
24600	Must have (2) RED taillights one on right and one of left. (Not allowed to have clear lens with red bulb)
24603	Must have (2) RED brake lights activated when brake pedal is pressed.
26710	Windshield must be free from obstructions (cracks, hanging ornaments etc.)
27007	Forbidden to have audio sound level able to be heard more then 50 feet from vehicle. (Emergency vehicles exempt)
27315	Mandatory seatbelt law

PEOPLE DESCRIPTIONS

Sometimes when law enforcement personnel describe a certain person (for example a person that they are looking for) they will use an abbreviation for the person's general description. For example a H-M-A is a Hispanic Male Adult, and a B-F-J would be a Black Female Juvenile. This is not a 100% list since some departments will go even farther in the description such as a Japanese person instead of Asian, or an Libyan in stead of a Eastern Indian.

RACE	SEX	AGE GROUP
A...Asian	F...Female	A...Adult
B....Black	M...Male	J...Juvenile
H...Hispanic
W...White