5149 & 1/2

[rananthony04]

I know what a 5150 is, however, when I heard an officer in my city mention "..subject checked 10-4, was 5149 & 1/2.." I was a little confused until I realized that the subject was almost or nearly 5150. For anyone in LE, is this ever used, or was it just the officers way of describing the subject? Sounds like a dumb question, I had just never heard it before.

 

[pfish]

May want to post the question in the California forum. 5150 is a California Welfare and Institutions Code (W&I).

However, I've heard it used quite a few times, and they always have a smirk on their face while they're saying it. I think it's just a polite way of saying they're "not quite there yet". :wink:

 

[RolnCode3]

Used all the time. Gotta' be careful that the person you're talking about doesn't know what it means (or acknowledges that they are). I've even seen 5150 tattooed before...needless to say, it was appropriate.

 

[rananthony04]

I've even seen 5150 tattooed before...needless to say, it was appropriate.

lol, thanks guys.

 

[zz0468]

I used to have a bumper sticker on my car that said "I'm 5149 1/2, so don't push". I saw many a motorcycle cop behind me laughing behind my back.

 

[rananthony04]

I used to have a bumper sticker on my car that said "I'm 5149 1/2, so don't push". I saw many a motorcycle cop behind me laughing behind my back.

lol !

 

[W4KRR]

That whole "5150" thing is only meaningful to anyone in or around CA. To people in other parts of the country, it means nothing.

 

[RolnCode3]

The same way "187" is? Go ask a gangster in Florida what 187 is and I bet he knows.

 

[pfish]

The same way "187" is? Go ask a gangster in Florida what 187 is and I bet he knows.

Same thing with 211. I've heard both in many songs (that were not from people in California).

 

[rananthony04]

That whole "5150" thing is only meaningful to anyone in or around CA. To people in other parts of the country, it means nothing.

What is used in place of "5150" in "other parts of the country"? I can't seem to remember off hand. I've lived here all my life and have been used to LE terminology in LA and Orange Co.[CA] I didn't realize California and/or adjacent agencies were possibly the only ones using the 5150.
-Robert

 

[W4KRR]

What is used in place of "5150" in "other parts of the country"? I can't seem to remember off hand. I've lived here all my life and have been used to LE terminology in LA and Orange Co.[CA] I didn't realize California and/or adjacent agencies were possibly the only ones using the 5150.
-Robert

I'm sure every state has their own unique statute numbers, there may be some duplication among states, but I would guess not. I couldn't tell you what's used here in Florida, or anywhere else for that matter.

 

[car2back]

we use "51/50" around here, but it's just slang that you get wrote up for saying on the radio :wink:

 

[TechnoDave]

A WHOLE lot of people know what 5150 is, because Van Halen had a CD by that title, it was explained many times on MTV (when they played music) and VH1.

 

[TechnoDave]

Oh, here in Birmingham the code is Signal 78. There are those that are 77.5 and then there are those that are 156's with is 78+78

 

[w0fg]

10-96 in the multi-jurisdictional APCO 10-code.

 

[car2back]

At an agency where I used to work, a couple of wise guys tried using "dee-dee-dee" until one of the admins watched Mind of Mencia :lol:

 

[SAR923]

I can tell you for sure that the wanna-be's down here have heard of 187 since I saw one of the boys wearing a 187 medallion around his neck. I think the old Dragnet may have also popularized some California penal codes since the ending always had the (usually) correct section the suspect was charged with.

10-96 is sometimes used here for a 5150 but most often it's dispatched as a "mental case". Seems like a good use of plain English.

 

[MFD4305]

So - given all that knowledge - who knows what a "deuce" is? And I don't mean the car!

 

[w0fg]

A 2 1/2 ton Army truck, or "Ma Deuce"; a Browning M2 .50 cal. machine gun.

 

[RolnCode3]

So - given all that knowledge - who knows what a "deuce" is? And I don't mean the car!

DUI. But the history of it is vague as far as I can tell...dunno where it originated. One theory was that it was 502 of the vehicle code...but I don't know for sure.