A police code is a brevity code, usually numerical or alphanumerical, used to transmit information between law enforcement over police radio systems in the United States. Examples of police codes include "10 codes" (such as 10-4 for "okay" or "acknowledged"—sometimes written X4 or X-4), signals, incident codes, response codes, or other status codes. These code types may be used in the same sentence to describe specific aspects of a situation.
Codes vary by state, county, and agency. It is rare to find two agencies with exactly the same ten-codes, signals, incident codes, or other status codes. While agencies with adjacent or overlapping jurisdictions often have similar codes, it is not uncommon to find differences even within one county or city. Different agencies can have codes dissimilar enough to make communication difficult. There are similarities among popular sets of 10-codes.[1]
The topic of standardized codes has long been discussed in U.S. law enforcement circles, but there is no consensus on the issue. Some law enforcement agencies use “plain talk” or “plain codes” which replaces codes with standard speech and terminology, albeit in a structured manner or format. Arguments against plain language is its lack of brevity, variability, and lack of secrecy that is often tactically advantageous or a safety issue when officer communications can be overheard by the civilian public.[2]
Examples
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 2 | No Lights Or Sirens |
| 3 | Lights And Sirens |
| 4 | Disregard |
| 121 | Priority on the air |
| 122 | Priority on silence |
| 123 | Sick or injured person |
| 124 | Operation completed |
| 125 | Operation continue |
| 126 | Intercept suspects |
| 127 | Proceed with caution |
| 128 | No siren, no flashing |
| 129 | Request back up |
| 130 | Emergency |
| 131 | Shooting |
| 132 | Armed robbery |
| 133 | Possibly dangerous person |
| 134 | Kidnapping |
| 135 | Escape |
| 136 | Hold of hostages |
| 137 | Riot |
| 138 | Bomb alert |
| 139 | Air disaster |
| 140 | Murder |
| 141 | Accident |
| 142 | Unlawful assembly |
| 143 | Hit and run |
| 144 | Impaired |
| 145 | Prisoner transport |
| 146 | Breaking and entering (vehicle or residence) |
| 147 | Suspect armed |
| 148 | Brawl/Family feuding |
| 149 | Ascertainment |
| 150 | Theft |
California
The Hundred Code is a three-digit police code system.[3] This code is usually pronounced digit-by-digit, using a radio alphabet for any letters, as 505 "five zero five" or 207A "two zero seven Alpha". The following codes are used in California. They are from the California Penal Code except where noted below.[4]
In the 1970s, the television show Adam-12 was considered so authentic in its portrayal of Los Angeles PD officers and their procedures that excerpts from the shows were used as police training films around the country.[5] This led to widespread use of California Penal Codes as radio codes.
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 187 | Murder |
| 505 | Kidnapping |
| 207A | Kidnapping attempt |
| 211 | Robbery |
| 211A | Robbery alarm |
| 211S | Robbery alarm, silent |
| 212 | Illegal use of drugs |
| 213 | Use of illegal explosives |
| 214 | Kidnapping and murder |
| 215 | Carjacking |
| 216 | Child Abuse |
| 217 | Assault with intent to murder |
| 218 | Sexual activity with a minor |
| 219 | Cutting or Stabbing |
| 240 | Assault |
| 241 | Impaling |
| 242 | Battery |
| 243 | Battery with dangerous weapons |
| 244 | Murder with Illegal weapons |
| 245 | Assault with a deadly weapon |
| 246 | Shooting at inhabited dwelling |
| 261 | Rape |
| 261A | Attempted rape |
| 273A | Child neglect |
| 273D | Domestic violence – Felony |
| 288 | Lewd conduct with a minor |
| 311 | Child pornography |
| 314 | Indecent exposure |
| 374B | Illegal dumping |
| 390 | Drunk |
| 390D | Drunk, unconscious |
| 415 | Disturbance |
| 417 | Person with a gun |
| 417K | Person with a knife |
| 417B | Person with bomb |
| 419 | Dead human body |
| 428 | Child molest |
| 444 | Officer-involved shooting |
| 459 | Burglary |
| 459A | Burglar alarm |
| 459S | Burglar alarm, silent |
| 470 | Forgery |
| 480 | Hit and run – Felony (great bodily injury or death) |
| 481 | Hit and run – Misdemeanor |
| 484 | Theft (definition) |
| 486 | Major Theft (value < 10,000) |
| 487 | Grand theft (value > $950, or certain livestock) |
| 488 | Petty theft (value < $950) |
| 501 | Drunk driving – felony (great bodily injury or death) |
| 502 | Drunk driving |
| 503 | Auto theft |
| 504 | Tampering with a vehicle |
| 505A | Reckless driving |
| 507 | Public nuisance |
| 510 | Speeding or racing vehicles |
| 586 | Illegal parking |
| 594 | Malicious mischief |
| 604 | Throwing object |
| 647 | Lewd conduct (various subsections) |
| 653M | Threatening phone calls |
| 998 | Officer Involved Shooting |
"500" codes are only radio codes that substitute for other code sections. For example, a "503" is not Penal Code section 503 (embezzlement). All of the "500" codes, generally, involve vehicles and are thus grouped together (except 594, which is an actual Penal Code section). Additionally, "390" and variants are also radio codes only (CPC 647(f) is the legally enforced section "public intoxication").
In California, some radio codes in the 400–599 range that refer to vehicle violations are left over from the California Vehicle Code (CVC) which was revised in 1971. Some agencies, such as the California Highway Patrol (CHP) use the current vehicle code numbers while municipal and county police agencies, especially the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) still use the 500 series.
| Old | New | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 480 | 20001 | Felony Hit and Run |
| 481 | 20002 | Misdemeanor Hit and Run |
| 501 | 23151 | Felony Drunk Driving |
| 502 | 23152 | Misdemeanor Drunk Driving[6] |
| 503 | 10851 | Stolen Vehicle (also a penal code section, 487A) |
| 504 | 10854 | Tampering with a Motor Vehicle |
| 505 | 23103 | Reckless Driving |
| 510 | 23109 | Speed Contest / Racing |
| 586 | 22500 | Illegal Parking |
See also
References
- ↑ "Police 10 Codes". copradar.com. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ↑ "Police 10 codes vs. plain language: The history and ongoing debate". Police1. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- ↑ "Police Codes Explained".
- ↑ Dansker, Zack. "Police Radio Codes". stanford.edu. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ↑ "How the TV series 'Adam-12' helped the LAPD sell the 'good cop' image". kpcc.org. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
We had a technical advisor working with us every day that we shot the show. Once we left the car, they'd say: You do the approach this way, to this automobile where there's this suspected felon. And, interestingly enough, during the whole run of "Adam-12," episodes of the show were being bicycled all over the country to police departments to be used as training videos.
- ↑ A drunk driver is often referred to as a "deuce". This comes from the "2" at the end of the original code, "502", which subsequent codes have retained.
External links
- "Police Scanner Codes Site". PoliceCodes.org.
- "Radio and Identification codes". Mendosa.com.
- "Police Codes". PoliceCodes.net.