Police Codes - Legal for Civilian to have?

[arturobandini]

I'm in Birmingham, AL and want to know what my local 10 codes, disposition codes and signal codes mean. I'm assuming they're local and not national.

There is another forum member in my area who says he has them but he wants my address. I've asked him twice if it's legal for me to have them as a civilian. He avoids the question and says he set it up for me to go to my local PD and get them. I don't know this person, mind you. Never met him.

Finally, when I repeated I don't yet know if it's legal and I don't want to get arrested he seems angry, saying that I'm a "paranoid psycho," that "I'm pissing him off" and that he "bent over backwards" to arrange to have the codes left for me at the precinct (and I just received a 2nd crazy email from him so even if they are legal I can no longer deal with him).

 

[RaleighGuy]

Have you checked out this PDF from the Radio Reference Search for Birmingham? Ten codes have long been publicly available. Hope this helps.

https://www.google.com/url?q=http:/...ds-cse&usg=AFQjCNExRHutR25X5mcIW_uzTlA7IK0tfQ

 

[SCPD]

Here you go: http://www.panix.com/~clay/scanning/frequencies/states/al/burmingham.txt

 

[arturobandini]

God Bless you Tiny Tim.

The person here in Birmingham who calls me a psycho because I won't walk into a PD and ask because he tells me he wants me to also said they changed the codes here recently. Still, those you have posted will undoubtedly be helpful. Thank you!

 

[sparklehorse]

God Bless you Tiny Tim.

The person here in Birmingham who calls me a psycho because I won't walk into a PD and ask because he tells me he wants me to also said they changed the codes here recently. Still, those you have posted will undoubtedly be helpful. Thank you!

If you listen long enough, and maybe take some notes, you will figure out most of their codes on your own in due time. Using your own powers of observation is perfectly legal.

.

 

[KK4JUG]

Arturobanini, I'm not sure anyone really answered your question. Sure, it's legal and frequently, you can figure them out, as someone said, but not always.

Here in Columbus (GA), we use 4-digit run codes that may be altered, depending on the call and the responding unit. For instance, a primary unit being dispatched to a residential burglary will be given 7501, which is a business burglary in progress. A secondary or backup unit should receive a code of 7502 (backup). If responding to a business burglary that's already occurred, the run code would be 7500. Those numbers are used as a means of tracking types of calls per beat and for other statistical purposes. That's the intent, anyway.

In reality, however, usually everyone gets the same run code. The primary unit and any backups would receive a 7501 run code.

I said all that to say this: sometimes it's tough to figure out what's going on in some areas and it's hard to tell the players without a program. Whatever happened to the "plain talk" idea that the feds were pushing for interoperability?

(The run codes are available elsewhere in this forum.)

 

[RRR]

Note of reference, Police officers are in fact "civilians" themselves, unless they are members of the military.

 

[KK4JUG]

Note of reference, Police officers are in fact "civilians" themselves, unless they are members of the military.

The definition now includes police as well as military.

 

[jaspence]

Codes

Our sheriff's department has gone to plain English with the actual meaning, such as "security check".

 

[gewecke]

Our sheriff's department has gone to plain English with the actual meaning, such as "security check".

. Agree. The same is true here in Il. as well. Most agencies are using standard terms, such as " message received" instead of 10-4. Some also use key phrases such as Bolo or Terry stops. . 73, n9zas

 

[N4GIX]

Many Chicago PD dispatchers have adopted the really annoying habit of referring to an "open mic" as "open keys." :roll:

 

[jaspence]

Open key

Perhaps a misunderstanding of the ham term "keying up"?

 

[ke6gcv]

In the interest of interoperability, almost my whole county, and cities within, are plain English. Very little code used anymore.

 

[fourthhorseman]

I'm in Birmingham, AL and want to know what my local 10 codes, disposition codes and signal codes mean. I'm assuming they're local and not national.

There is another forum member in my area who says he has them but he wants my address. I've asked him twice if it's legal for me to have them as a civilian. He avoids the question and says he set it up for me to go to my local PD and get them. I don't know this person, mind you. Never met him.

Finally, when I repeated I don't yet know if it's legal and I don't want to get arrested he seems angry, saying that I'm a "paranoid psycho," that "I'm pissing him off" and that he "bent over backwards" to arrange to have the codes left for me at the precinct (and I just received a 2nd crazy email from him so even if they are legal I can no longer deal with him).

Your not a CIVILIAN....You are a CITIZEN..

Do not give any joker asking for your personal info anything.

Of course its OK for you to have knowledge of and or possess
that documentation.

At most,,MOST its classed U-OUO - Unclassified/Official Use Only.
That is Not restricted information.

You could FOIA it but just a lil google'ing or a local member can help.

 

[ofd8001]

It's encouraged that responders use "Plain English" rather than 10 codes, because so many jurisdictions have their own variations. Codes can be confusing in large scale mutual aid incidents. But old habits are hard to break.

 

[Robinsmark]

Misunderstanding

Perhaps a misunderstanding of the ham term "keying up"?

or...my favorite when referring to a microphone " Its a speaker, you speak into it" LOL!

 

[KK4JUG]

or...my favorite when referring to a microphone " Its a speaker, you speak into it" LOL!

With some portables, it's kind of like that. The mic and the speaker are in the same enclosure.

 

[N4GIX]

Actually, in some of the older and less sophisticated radios, the speaker is also used as the microphone!

With regards to my previous comment about the use of "keys" instead of microphones, what is actually even more funny is when the dispatcher repeatedly broadcasts:

Check your keys! Everyone check their keys!

Apparently it never occurs to them that any radio with a stuck microphone cannot hear the dispatcher's frantic calls... :roll: