I know this is a little off-topic but does anyone know of a list that exists of CPD vehicle unit numbers and what district or unit they are assigned to? Just so I know what vehicles are what in pictures
You mean a list of identifiers like this?:
Common or notable callsigns heard apart from the standard beat cars:
Car 3 - Superintendent
Car 4 - First Deputy Superintendent
Car 5 - Chief of Patrol
Car 6 - Deputy Superintendent of Patrol
Car 13 - possibly Deputy Chief of the Special Functions Division
Car 41-43
41=Area Central Deputy Chief
42=Area South Deputy Chief
43=Area North Deputy Chief
3200s are Lake Shore Dr Units
5800 units - Forensic Services (evidence technicians, crime lab)
7300 units - Public Transit Detail
4600 units - SWAT team
4900 units - Mounted Unit
##00 - district commander
##00X - district executive officer
##01 - desk sergeant
##99 - watch commander
51xx - Area South Detectives (Area 1) (Unit 610)
52xx - Area Central Detectives (Area 2) (Unit 620)
53xx - Area North Detectives (Area 3) (Unit 630)
71xx - 73xx units Area 1 through Area 3 Special Victims Detectives.
Special victims follows the *old unit identification plan* for Detective assignments by area.
71xxs is Area North,
72xx is Area Central,
73xx is Area South.
UCXX is undercover
M# units - Marine Unit
PH# - Police Helicopter 1 or 2
CPD Callsigns work like this:
The first two numbers are the district number,
the third number is the sector,
the last number is the beat.
Example: 1721….. 17 is the district, 2 is the sector, 1 is the beat.
17th district, second sector and first beat = 1721. Chicago has 22 districts. We used to have 25. Chicago used to have five detective areas, we now have three. Some specialized teams have a letter in their callsign after the first two numbers. For instance, 53G22A would be the area 3 (Area North) gun and gang team.