Law Enforcement Glossary

[CA Cop]

Hi everyone,

Maybe I've missed something, but after searching and not finding anything, I thought I'd ask here.

Is there a list, besides the Acronym List, that would serve as a sort of glossary to Law Enforcement terms? Especially slang.

For instance, "jamming" someone, or having a "5150" suspect, or arresting a "deuce".

I know that every area has its own terminology, but I love to hear the kind of slang that people are using.

So if there's not a list, I'd be happy to start what I can... though I'm sure some of you vets would have so much more to add...

Thanks!

[Kahuna5150]

Might be an interesting list to start CA Cop... Many of the terms you see used are often area specific though... I'm sure you know this (based on your username and I assume you're from CA), but many other areas/states have different slang for a lot of things..

I would think "jamming" would be the same here in CA as anywhere else. At least here I take it to mean you are taking some enforcement action against someone and/or digging into what they're doing... "I stopped this parolee and was jamming him up about not updating his address and that's when he ran and I got into the pursuit".

5150 here in CA (and again this is for others who may not know) would be the Welfare and Institutions Code section (CA W&I) for taking someone into protective custody for an emergency mental health evaluation... Also good for describing those "crazY" folks we deal with that are actually being taken.. "This guy called us 10 times to report the aliens on his roof... He was 5150 like a rat... or 5149 and 1/2"...

DWI, DUI, Deuce, 23152 (CVC for CA) all for drunks.... I never heard DWI in CA... it was always Deuce, DUI, or 23152 VC. Again some other areas probably have a "Signal 10" or some such... I know the "Signal" tends to be used a lot (at least from what I've heard in other areas on police scanners).

ADW is pretty common (Assault with a deadly weapon), GBI (Great Bodily Injury). And thanks to all the rappers out there most people (even outside CA) know the CA Penal code section for murder (187) and robbery (211).

Good thoughts though... Cop slang can be like another language... I found myself often having to explain things when I talked to cops from other states... I also had to ask what they meant with a lot of their slang... We take it for granted sometimes that everyone has the same frame of reference.

Kahuna

[DelC]

Police jargon is so diversified from dept to dept/state to state that I think your list would be about 10-pages long. Even 10-codes vary greatly from dept to dept in the same state.