Like you said, all depends on who you listen to, here in Ventura County, "Adam" is a specific patrol area within each district. "9-Adam-21" would be the first day watch Adam area Thousand Oaks PD contract car for instance.
To show you how much it can change even in bordering jurisdictions, "Paul" is a parking cadet with VCSD, and "Paul" is a standard patrol unit with Simi Valley.
