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Terms & Abbreviations

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Some terms and abbreviations are jurisdictional. Similar words or letters may be used in other places and might be deciphered by comparing definitions and usage found in this listing.
Items with multiple definitions are either regional in nature or are used in specific contexts (i.e. "Going to the S.O. = 'Sheriff's Office'", "Pick up the S.O. = 'Special Officer'")
Items with single letters are generally referred to as a suffix to another code (i.e. 10-85X = "Enroute 'with Female'" or 10-85F = "Enroute 'with Female'")
Many abbreviations can be preceeded by a federal, state, county or city prefix or initials (i.e. CVC = "California 'Vehicle Code'" or NYPD = "New York 'Police Department'")
Abbreviations are:
- ... upper-case to differentiate them from terms which are all lower-case or only have their initial letter capitalized.
- ... separated by periods to distinguish the from an actual word (e.g. C.O.P. vs "cop" and S.O. vs "so") in accordance with standard journalism rules. These are also known as "acronyms".
- ... not separated when they are pronounced as words but only exist as an abbreviation (e.g. AWWS as "Oz" or "awes" and SAC as "sack").
- ... not separated by periods when they do not spell real words.

1. Auto; 2. Adult; 3. Audible

A&D

Armed and Dangerous

ABC

Alcohol Beverage Control

ADW

Assault with a Deadly Weapon

AH / "Adam Henry"

slang Ignorant Person

ANI

Automated Name Index

APB

All Points Bulletin

Accident Investigation

ave / "the avenue"

slang usually refers to the main thoroughfare named after the city (e.g. Orange Ave = "the avenue" in Hollywood)

AWWS

Automated Wants and Warrants System

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Base (home)

B&E

Breaking and Entering. Similar to "burglary". This is often a lesser crime in some states. In others, "burglary" takes on the meaning to "enter a dwelling or structure in order to commit any felony or any theft" whether or not an actual "breaking" has occurred.

Blood Alcohol (percentage of alochol in blood)

BAT

1. Burglary Assault Team; 2. Building Assault Team

blvd / "the boulevard"

slang usually refers to the main thoroughfare named after the city (e.g. Hollywood Blvd = "the boulevard" in Hollywood)

BNE

Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement

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CCW

Carrying Concealed Weapon

CEO

Code Enforcement Officer (usually not a peace officer)

Confidential Informant

County (or City) Jail

1. Commanding Officer; 2. Communications Officer

code

1. Code 7 - out for meal; 2. Code 3 - run with lights/siren

C.O.P.

Chief Of Police

1. Command Post; 2. Complaining Party; 3. City Plant

CSI

Crime Scene Investigation

CSU

Crime Suppression Unit

Car Wash

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District Attorney

Dead Body

DDL

Department/Division of Driver's Licenses

deuce

slang Drunk driver (possibly derived from codes used over the years: 502, 23102, 23152 all ending in "2")

Drill Instructor

Driver's License (see also OLN)

DMV

Department/Division of Motor Vehicles

DR / "DR number"

Departmental Report (aka IR, ORA report numbers)

D.O.

1. Duty Officer; 2. District Office

DOA

Dead On Arrival

DOB

Date Of Birth

DOC

Department Of Communcations

DOD

Department Of Defense

DOE

Date Of Enlistment

DOG

Canine

DOH

Department Of Health

DOI

Department Of Interior

DOJ

Department Of Justice

D.O.T.

Direction Of Travel

DOW

Day Of Week

DUI

Driving Under the Influence (of alcohol or drugs)

DWI

Driving While Intoxicated

DWO

slangDriving While Obnoxious

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Eastbound

EOD

Explosive Ordinance Demolition (bomb squad)

EOS

End Of Shift

EOW

End Of Watch

ETA

Estimated Time of Arrival

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1. Female; 2. Felony

Fire Department

FPD

Fire Protection District

FST

Field Sobriety Test

FTA

Failure To Appear (in court -- usually results in a bench warrant)

FTP

Failure To Pay (court fines -- usually resultes in a bench warrant)

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General Broadcast (regional as opposed to APB)

GOA

Gone On Arrival (usually used with UTL)

GPA

Gone Prior to Arrival

GTA

Grand Theft Auto

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Home

H&R

Hit and Run

H&S

Health and Safety

HBD

Has Been Drinking

hit

Match on computer check usually referring to a person or vehicle. (see also miss and near miss)

hot

Stolen or wanted (usually referring to a vehicle or license plate number)

hot sheet

Stolen or wanted automobile listing (by license plate)

Health and Safety

Handi-Talkie (portable radio)

HUA

slang Ignorant

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Internal Affairs

IID

Internal Investigation Division

INS

Immigration and Naturalization Service (U.S.)

Incident Report (see also ORA, DR)

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Jail

JDIC

Justice Department Information Computer system

JEO

Just East Of

JH / "juvie"

Juvenile Hall

JNO

Just North Of

Juvenile Officer

JSO

Just South Of

JWO

Just West Of

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Canine (dog) unit

kilo

Metric measurement equaling 2.2 pounds (usually referring to illegal drugs)

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L/S

Last Seen

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1. Male; 2. Misdemeanor

make

1. wants/warrants; 2. auto manufacturer/year

1. Municipal Court; 2. Motorcycle

MCAPS

Municipal Court Automated Programming System (warrants)

miss

No match on computer check usually referring to a person or vehicle. (see also hit and near miss)

MWA

Male White Adult

Marshal's Office

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Northbound

NCIC

National Crime Information Center (FBI computer system)

near miss

Close match on computer check usually referring to a person or vehicle. (see also hit and miss)

NFD

No Further Details/Description

No Report taken

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Organized Crime

OCU

Organized Crime Unit

1. Off Duty; 2. Overdosed (on drugs)

OLN

Operator License Number (see also DL)

OPA

Over Prior to Arrival

OPD

Officially Pronounced Dead

1. (released from jail on) Own Recognizance (i.e. no bail); 2. Operating Room

ORA

Original Reporting Agency (see also IR, DR)

OPA

Over Prior to Arrival

OSC

On Scene Commander

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pack set

slang Portable radio

1. Parties Advised; 2. Public Address (loudspeaker)

PAWC

Parties Advised, Will Cooperate/Comply

1. Penal Code; 2. Patrol Check; 3. Probable Cause; 4. Party Complaining

1. Police Department; 2. Public Defender; 3. Property Damage

P.I.

1. Personal Injury; 2. Private Investigator

1. Police/Peace Officer; 2. Probation/Parole Officer

1. Party Reporting; 2. Public Relations; 3. Parks and Recreation

principle

Main person involved in a crime, scheme or conspiracy

1. Police Station; 2. Public School

PSO

Public Safety Officer

1. Physical Training; 2. Personal Time

Public Works (department)

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slang Secret

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1. Reporting Area; 2. Resident Agent (FBI)

RCI

Reliable Confidential Informant

Reporting District

1. Reporting Officer; 2. Regional Office

Reporting Party

RTO

Radio Traffic Officer (dispatcher)

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1. Station; 2. Special

S&R

Search and Rescue

Special Agent (FBI)

SAR

Search And Rescue

SAC

Special Agent in Charge (FBI)

Southbound

Superior Court

Sheriff's Department

S.O.

Sheriff's Office

sub

(short for) Subject

subject

Any non-official individual involved in an incident (i.e. witness, victim, suspect). Not necessarily the suspect in a crime. (see also suspect)

surveillance

Visual or electronic monitoring of a person or place

suspect

The person believed responsibile for a crime (see also subject)

SWAT

Special Weapons And Tactics

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Traffic

Traffic Accident

1. Traffic Collision; 2. Traffic Control

1. Traffic Investigation; 2. Training Instructor

T.O.

1. Traffic Office; 2. Training Office

Go to Top

Under Cover

UTL

Unable To Locate (usually used with GOA)

Go to Top

Vehicle Code

VIN

Vehicle Identification (serial) Number

Victims' Unit

Go to Top

want

Wanted for suspicion of a crime (usually no warrant issued as suspect is not yet named). Can also refer to vehicle used in a crime or by a known criminal.

warrant

Wanted for commission of a crime (suspect named in court document)

Westbound

1. Watch Commander; 2. Will Cooperate; 3. Welfare Code

welfare check

Investigate well being of a person

WIC

Welfare and Institutions Code

wit

(short for) Witness

WFA

White Female Adult

WMA

White Male Adult