Police code
A police code is a numerical abbreviation for a crime, incident, or instructions for police officers.
The following list is the police code system in the province of Quebec used by Sûreté du Québec, École nationale de police du Québec, and the municipal police.[1]
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 120 | Operation 100 |
| 121 | Priority on the air |
| 122 | Priority on silence |
| 123 | Sick or injured person |
| 124 | Operation completed |
| 125 | Operation continued |
| 126 | Intercept suspect |
| 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 | Introduction (vehicle or residence) |
| 147 | Suspect Armed |
| 148 | Brawl/Family feuding |
| 149 | Ascertainment |
| 150 | Theft |
The Hundred Code[2] is a three digit police code system. 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 Adam".
The following codes are used in California;[3] most are from the California Penal Code (except as noted below):
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 187 | Murder |
| 207 | Kidnapping |
| 207A | Kidnapping attempt |
| 211 | Robbery |
| 211A | Robbery alarm |
| 211S | Robbery alarm, silent |
| 213 | Use of illegal explosives |
| 215 | Carjacking |
| 217 | Assault with intent to murder |
| 219 | Cutting |
| 240 | Assault |
| 242 | Battery |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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 missiles |
| 647 | Lewd conduct (various subsections) |
| 653M | Threatening phone calls |
Note that "500" codes are only radio codes that substitute for other code sections. Example: a "503" is not Penal Code section 503 (which is Embezzlement). All of the "500" codes, generally, involve vehicles and are thus grouped together (except 594, which is a legitimate Penal Code). 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[4] |
| 503 | 10851 | Stolen Vehicle (also a penal code section, 487A, Grand Theft Auto) |
| 504 | 10854 | Tampering with a Motor Vehicle |
| 505 | 23103 | Reckless Driving |
| 510 | 23109 | Speed Contest / Racing |
| 586 | 22500 | Illegal Parking |
Phonetic alphabet
California uses a phonetic alphabet distinct from some other states, such as Florida, that use the standard International Telecommunications Union (ITU) phonetic alphabet. Some California police agencies use a slightly different one, as listed here. Others, such as all police departments, the sheriff's department, harbor patrol, lifeguards, marshals, etc. in Orange County use the ITU phonetic alphabet.
Below is the "standard" police phonetic which usually only varies with the letter "Y" being either "young" (LAPD-style) or "yellow" (CHP-style). Federal law enforcement often uses a mix of the two (FBI-style) alphabets:[5]
| Letter | NATO phonetic alphabet | Police code |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alpha | Adam |
| B | Bravo | Boy |
| C | Charlie | Charles |
| D | Delta | David |
| E | Echo | Edward |
| F | Foxtrot | Frank |
| G | Golf | George |
| H | Hotel | Henry |
| I | India | Ida |
| J | Juliet | John |
| K | Kilo | King |
| L | Lima | Lincoln |
| M | Mike | Mary |
| N | November | Nora |
| O | Oscar | Ocean |
| P | Papa | Paul |
| Q | Quebec | Queen |
| R | Romeo | Robert |
| S | Sierra | Sam |
| T | Tango | Tom |
| U | Uniform | Union |
| V | Victor | Victor |
| W | Whiskey | William |
| X | X-Ray | X-Ray |
| Y | Yankee | Young / Yellow |
| Z | Zulu | Zebra |
See also
References and notes
- ^ "Quebec Scanning". Quebec Scanning. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ "Police Scanner Codes".
- ^ In the 1970s, the television show Adam-12 was 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. This led to widespread use of California Penal Codes as radio codes in states where "187" and "211" were not on the books, only on the air.
- ^ A drunk driver is often referred to as a "deuce". This comes from the "2" at the end of the original code, "502", and has, coincidentally(?), remained a code ending in "2": 23102, 23152. To this day, people will still say someone "got busted for a 502" yet there will be no law, reference, ticket or report with that number on it for drunk driving.
- ^ "Law Enforcement Phonetic Alphabets".
External links
- "Police Scanner Codes Site". PoliceCodes.org.
- "Radio and Identification codes". Mendosa.com.