Police code

A police code is a brevity code, usually numerical or alphanumerical, used to transmit information between law enforcement over police radio systems. 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
CodeDescription
2No Lights Or Sirens
3Lights And Sirens
4Disregard
121Priority on the air
122Priority on silence
123Sick or injured person
124Operation completed
125Operation continue
126Intercept suspects
127Proceed with caution
128No siren, no flashing
129Request back up
130Emergency
131Shooting
132Armed robbery
133Possibly dangerous person
134Kidnapping
135Escape
136Hold of hostages
137Riot
138Bomb alert
139Air disaster
140Murder
141Accident
142Unlawful assembly
143Hit and run
144Impaired
145Prisoner transport
146Breaking and entering (vehicle or residence)
147Suspect armed
148Brawl/Family feuding
149Ascertainment
150Theft

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. This led to widespread use of California Penal Codes as radio codes.

CodeDescription
187Murder
505Kidnapping
207AKidnapping attempt
211 Robbery
211ARobbery alarm
211SRobbery alarm, silent
212Illegal use of drugs
213Use of illegal explosives
214Kidnapping and murder
215Carjacking
216Child Abuse
217Assault with intent to murder
218Sexual activity with a minor
219Cutting or Stabbing
240Assault
241Impaling
242Battery
243Battery with dangerous weapons
244Murder with Illegal weapons
245Assault with a deadly weapon
246Shooting at inhabited dwelling
261Rape
261AAttempted rape
273AChild neglect
273DDomestic violence – Felony
288Lewd conduct with a minor
311Child pornography
314Indecent exposure
374BIllegal dumping
390Drunk
390DDrunk, unconscious
415Disturbance
417Person with a gun
417KPerson with a knife
417BPerson with bomb
419 Dead human body
428Child molest
444Officer-involved shooting
459Burglary
459ABurglar alarm
459SBurglar alarm, silent
470Forgery
480Hit and run – Felony (great bodily injury or death)
481Hit and run – Misdemeanor
484Theft (definition)
486Major Theft (value < 10,000)
487Grand theft (value > $950, or certain livestock)
488Petty theft (value < $950)
501Drunk driving – felony (great bodily injury or death)
502Drunk driving
503Auto theft
504Tampering with a vehicle
505AReckless driving
507Public nuisance
510Speeding or racing vehicles
586Illegal parking
594Malicious mischief
604Throwing object
647Lewd conduct (various subsections)
653MThreatening phone calls

"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.

OldNewDescription
48020001Felony Hit and Run
48120002Misdemeanor Hit and Run
50123151Felony Drunk Driving
50223152Misdemeanor Drunk Driving[5]
50310851Stolen Vehicle (also a penal code section, 487A)
50410854Tampering with a Motor Vehicle
50523103Reckless Driving
51023109Speed Contest / Racing
58622500Illegal Parking

See also

References
  1. "Police 10 Codes". copradar.com. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  2. "Police 10 codes vs. plain language: The history and ongoing debate". Police1. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  3. "Police Codes Explained".
  4. Dansker, Zack. "Police Radio Codes". stanford.edu. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  5. 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.
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