Houston Codes

[radioshackattack]

Does anybody know what any of the 10 codes that are used by the Houston Police Department? I hear all kinds of stuff that I do not understand and have been trying to figure out these little codes for about a year and a half. Also they use Code 1 (which I think means respond with no lights and no sirens) Code 2 (which I think means respond with lights but no siren) and Code 3 (which I think means respond with lights and sirens). I mean all the other stuff I have no idea. Can anybody help?

 

[loumaag]

Does anybody know what any of the 10 codes that are used by the Houston Police Department? I hear all kinds of stuff that I do not understand and have been trying to figure out these little codes for about a year and a half. Also they use Code 1 (which I think means respond with no lights and no sirens) Code 2 (which I think means respond with lights but no siren) and Code 3 (which I think means respond with lights and sirens). I mean all the other stuff I have no idea. Can anybody help?

HPD does not use "10 codes". Supposedly they use plain language; however, as you have pointed out they have shortened that language to something that becomes a code anyway.

They also do not use "codes" to specify how to respond; although they have hired enough dispatchers from other agencies that did use them that the word keeps creeping into the dispatch cycle. They are supposed to use "Priority", and priority 1 means you should be there already (lights, siren, speeding, etc.); priority 2 means (lights, siren when necessary to clear traffic or cross intersections, speeding not allowed); priority 3 means normal response; priority 4 means when you have some extra time and nothing else to do take care of this.

Others that you hear often are "OD" = off duty and "SO" = signed on (duty).

 

[mfn002]

I have them... They are a combination of codes and abbreviations:

ADW: Assault with a Deadly Weapon
ATL: Attempt To Locate
BAC: Blood Alcohol Content
BMV: Buglary of a Motor Vehicle
BOLO: Be On the Look Out
CAD: Computer-Aided Dispatch
CCH: Computerized Criminal History
Code 3: Non-Emergency Response (no, that's not a mistake)
CP: Complaining Party/Command Post
CTW: Criminal Trespass Warning
DWLS: Driving While Licesnse Suspended
Fox: HPD Helicopter
FSGI: Falure to Stop and Give Information
FSRA: Failure to Stop and Render Aid
IPC: Inmate Processing Center
Priority 1: Urgent Call/Threat to Life
Priority 2: Crime/Threat to Human Welfare in Progress
Priority 3: No known emergency, but handle expediently
Priority 4: On-scene response required, not urgent
Priority 5: Call handled by calltaker
Priority 6: Officer-initiated call
POV: Personally-Owned Vehicle
Shop: Fleet Vehicle
Solo: Motorcycle Unit
STEP: Slective Traffic Enforcement Program
Take Eight: Go to HPD 8 (Car-to-Car)
TLETS: Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunication System
UCW: Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon
X2: Officer Spouse/Home

BTW, If you want Houston Fire Department's codes, PM me.

 

[scanfan03]

Harris County SO uses priority 1-4, HPD uses Code 1-3. Code 1 being lights and sirens, Code 2 meaning no lights and sirens but get there and Code 3 meaning take all the time you want.

And I've never heard HPD use 10 codes, other than 10-4 (affirmative) and 10-33 (assist the officer).

 

[motorola_otaku]

Expanded upon:

I have them... They are a combination of codes and abbreviations:
DWLI: Driving While License Invalid - Same as DWLS, but can refer to other statuses of a person's driver's license that would render it invalid for operation of a motor vehicle.
FSGI: Failure to Stop and Give Information - Hit-and-run between two vehicles
FSRA: Failure to Stop and Render Aid - Hit-and-run between a vehicle and a pedestrian or bicyclist
IPC: Inmate Processing Center - Harris County's downtown jail
MPC: Mental Processing Center - Ben Taub's psych ward
SETCIC: SouthEast Texas Criminal Information Computer - Clearinghouse for warrants
Shop: Fleet Vehicle. Usually used in reference to a vehicle's fleet ID number. When an officer checks out of a vehicle and into another, or exchanges MDT computers you will hear this referred to.
STEP: Selective Traffic Enforcement Program - Government-funded program that pays for local officers to work extra time and overtime doing nothing but traffic enforcement.

As for HFD, the only 10-codes they still use are 10-50 (fatality/deceased person) and 10-24 (arson investigator.) Everything else is plain language or self-explanatory.

There is also a fourth (fifth?) want/warrant-carrying computer database that sounds something like "capeas." I don't know its official abbreviation.. maybe someone else can help?

 

[bpckty1]

"As for HFD, the only 10-codes they still use are 10-50 (fatality/deceased person) and 10-24 (arson investigator.) Everything else is plain language or self-explanatory."

There's also 71 for tapping out a fire.

 

[mfn002]

There's also 71 for tapping out a fire.

That's actually Signal 7-1, and it more or less means "cancel any units still en-route to the scene"

 

[bpckty1]

Sorry, I should have been clearer and said "seven one" instead of "71", which would be interpreted as seventy-one.

 

[motorola_otaku]

"As for HFD, the only 10-codes they still use are 10-50 (fatality/deceased person) and 10-24 (arson investigator.) Everything else is plain language or self-explanatory."

There's also 71 for tapping out a fire.

Yeah, but 7-1 isn't a 10-code!

 

[bpckty1]

Well, the thread did morph from HPD 10 codes to other Houston/Harris County related codes and signals.

 

[dan04330]

There is also a fourth (fifth?) want/warrant-carrying computer database that sounds something like "capeas." I don't know its official abbreviation.. maybe someone else can help?

Capias is a warrant for arrest.