TABLE OF CONTENTS :
RESPONDING CODE 3: How to Listen to LAPD Radio INTRODUCTION Amateur radio operation, including listening to police and fire communications, is an American tradition. The United States is one of the few places, even in the Western Hemisphere, where it is legal to both own a digital trunking scanner AND use it to listen to telecommunications by police, fire, and other personnel. LAPD were the main pioneers in police radio technologies, as they were with other policing techniques. All of the famous radio lingo, code numbers, and other parlance all derive from LAPD and LA County Sheriffs. The technique, infrastructure, and parlance was all developed between 1924 and 1933 under the direction of LAPD Chiefs R. Lee Heath and Roy E. Steckel. Different agencies use a variety of analog and digital radio technologies across varying platforms, and thus depending on where you live, you will have to research compatibility requirements if you are going to purchase your own scanner or ham radio. If you clicked this article, you are probably wondering how you can listen to Los Angeles Police Department radio communications. Well, here it is--what you need to look for in a scanner, in-short: the scanner needs to be 1.) digital (not analog), 2.) must have P25 capability, and 3.) must also have trunking capability. In this pamphlet, we will discuss radio selection, and better, we will discuss LAPD radio protocol and parlance. I will attempt to do this as comprehensively yet concisely as I can. We will discuss how to choose a scanner, initial crime broadcasts, and subsequent communications between law enforcement and emergency operators. Finally, at the end, we will include expanded Appendices with most of the information to fill in the blanks yourself! CLICK "READ MORE" BELOW CHAPTER 1: HOW TO CHOOSE A SCANNER The scanner must, critically, be digital, because in 2001 LAPD became one of the first public agencies to switch to digital broadcasting. LAPD broadcasts principally out of the Elysian Park tower on Radio Hill (between Chinatown and Chavez Ravine), and broadcasts within the 400 MHz to 500 MHz (or “T-Band”) ranges, having previously been broadcast over 1712 to 1730 kHz during the analog era. LAPD’s switch to digital stemmed from a need for increased capacity (for both voice and data) and also because digital technology was more sophisticated and expensive, deterring criminals from purchasing and programming them. Though there were gains from the switchover, it marked a sort of move away from the American tradition of easy access to police bands, i.e. through affordable equipment and more straightforward programming. Your unit must, secondly, be compatible with what is called P25 (short for Project 25, also called APCO-25), a suite of broadcasting standards utilized by most fire and public safety agencies in Los Angeles County, and many others across the country. Your unit, lastly, must be capable of trunking, or the ability to scan the network for a set of frequencies, e.g. LAPD’s dozens of frequencies within the 400 MHz to 500 MHz T-Band range. Trunking scanners will rapidly scan dozens of frequencies per second, automatically playing back any frequency it encounters broadcasting a signal of a certain strength. This volume threshold, below which the scanner will ignore certain signals (such as static) is adjustable by a knob called the squelch. As for selecting an actual make and model, it may be natural to ask: “What model radios do LAPD use?” Since the P-25 digital switchover, initially piloted in 1994, LAPD has used a mixture of radios. After 1995, the department invested in the Motorola Astro Saber APX7000XE, capable of scanning 250 channels, compared to the 8-channel capability of their previous handsets. In 2001, the department began its full digital switchover following the rambunctious Lakers Victory Parade that year; following the switchover, they first used the Motorola APX-8000, and since about the mid-2000s have used both the Motorola XTS-3000 and XTS-5000, and occasionally the Harris/Dailey-Wells XL-200P. A memo dated March 8, 2017 addressed to the Board of Police Commissioners explains the LAPD’s need for new radios. It also cited the Department and officer’s preference for the current Motorola XTS-5000 and XTS-3000, the dislike for and cumbersome nature of the XL-200P, with a return to a previous model, APX-8000 coming in second place. I am going make an objective recommendation: if you are a beginner and/or just want simpler access to fire and public safety frequencies, you may want to initially avoid the above-mentioned radios. I say this not only because some of them are downright obsolete and expensive, but also because you can get perfectly sufficient units for cheaper, if not with better features. Uniden Bearcats and Radio Shack Pros are good units. A popular, good-quality, and low-cost unit for beginners is a Whistler WS1040, or its desktop duplicate the WS1065, which are both about $250.00. Setting up an ideal scanner feed Typically, the radio will have a standard keypad, with each key (or combination of keys) representing a bank containing many individual frequencies. For example, I programmed my scanner such that keys (banks) 1 and 2 are programmed to LAPD Dispatch and LAPD Talk (or “TAC”) frequencies, respectively. Following an initial crime broadcast on the “Dispatch” channels, TACs are used for unit-to-unit communication, so as to free up clutter on the Dispatch airwaves. Sometimes, during major incidents, ongoing events, or critical incidents (ones involving force) the EBOs (emergency board operators at the 9-11 centers) will tell units to switch over to a dedicated TAC channel reserved for that particular incident. As such, I have my scanner set to prioritize banks 1 and 2. CHAPTER 2: UNDERSTANDING LAPD TELECOMMUNICATIONS CHAPTER 2, SECTION I. INITIAL CRIME BROADCASTS The best starting point for learning how to decipher LAPD communications is the template that emergency operators (EBOs) use when making the initial crime broadcast. The standard template for initial crime broadcasts, as iterated by EBOs, is: *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* “Attention [relevant division] units in [specific LAPD “basic car area”]: [Type of crime] occurred approximately [duration of time] ago at [address, intersection, or vicinity]. Suspect is a [gender] [race], approximately [age] years-of-age, [hair color] over [eye color], [description of mental and physical state]. Victim is a [gender] [race], approximately [age] years-of-age, [description of mental and physical state]. P.R. indicated that the [suspect/victim] is [description of victim mental and physical state]. This is a Code [response code number]. Incident number [Incident number], in RD [reporting district number]. .” And, if a unit is not assigned: “Units from [Pertinent division or basic car area] handling, identify...“ Sometimes they include: “...before the call goes outside the division”. So, the components of the initial broadcasts, in applicable order, are: 1.) LAPD Division the incident occurred within, and which specific units, or all units, within the division should respond (Sometimes officers are asked to “identify” if they respond.); 2.) Type of crime or incident, denoted by three-digit codes from the CA Penal Code (e.g. “187”), a 10-code, or an abbreviation (See below for certain exceptions.); 3.) How long ago the crime occurred; 4.) Where the crime occurred; 5.) Description, quantity, and status of suspects/victims, and if either used a weapon; 6.) Additional details as recounted by the “PR” (the “person reporting”, who called 9-11); 7.) Whether to respond Code 2 (without sirens) or Code 3 (with sirens and against traffic laws); 8.) The incident number; and 9.) The “RD” number. (Reporting District number, a subsect of LAPD division). Breaking down each component into more detail: *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* (To let patrolling officers know that a crime broadcast is incoming, the 911 operators (EBOs) sound off three to five small tones (a monophonic B5-natural tone) as a way to catch the officers’ attention.) The first component of a crime broadcast is the pertinent LAPD division, iterated at the very beginning. It is necessary to briefly sum up LAPD cartography to understand this. LAPD splits their territory into the following hierarchy of areas, from largest to smallest (vi. to i.) 6.) The whole City of Los Angeles; 5.) The four LAPD bureaus within the City: the Central, West, South, and Valley bureaus; 4.) The LAPD divisions (listed below with their identifying numbers); 1 – Central; 2 – Rampart; 3 – Southwest; 4 – Hollenbeck; 5 – Harbor; 6 – Hollywood; 7 – Wilshire; 8 - West Los Angeles; 9 - Van Nuys; 10 - West Valley; 11 – Northeast; 12 - 77th Street; 13 – Newton; 14 – Pacific; 15 - North Hollywood; 16 – Foothill; 17 – Devonshire; 18 – Southeast; 19 – Mission; 20 – Olympic; 21 - Topanga 3.) The basic car areas (or “beats”) within the division; 2.) The reporting districts (RDs) within basic car areas; and 1.) The officers themselves (or more properly, the “units”) within the reporting district. In short, there are the officers (units)…who are assigned to a “beat”…which is in an “RD”…which is within a larger division…which in turn is within one of the four LAPD bureaus in the City of Los Angeles. Second, the reported crime is expressed, depending on the crime itself: a) as triple digit codes derived from the California Penal Code (e.g. “187”, for murder), b) as 10- or 11-codes (e.g. “10-32”, man with gun) a big list of codes used by LA Sheriffs. c) as abbreviations (e.g. “ADW”, assault with a deadly weapon) d) as concrete descriptions (“shooting just occurred,” “domestic violence,” “prowler”) A complete list of these triple-digit codes, 10-codes, 11-codes, abbreviations, and other descriptors will be partially covered in the next section of this article, entitled “Subsequent Communications,” and listed in-full in the appendices of this pamphlet. The third through fifth details iterated in the broadcast are how long ago the crime occurred, the location (a specific address, an intersection, or an approximate location), and physical descriptions of the suspects. The details of both the suspects and victims, if applicable, are detailed in the following order: sex, race, height, weight, hair color, eye color, clothes. Suspect and victim descriptions include whether they are ill, armed, hurt, or intoxicated (expressed as “390”). Sixth, following the suspect and victim descriptions, the EBO will give specific details surrounding the crime as recalled by the person reporting (“PR”) and third-party details. Seventh, officers are told to respond based on one of a possible two single-digit codes: Code 2 or Code 3. Units are instructed to respond Code 2 if an incident is deemed to not be an immediate and direct threat; such a response is made without sirens, and while obeying traffic laws. Units are instructed to respond Code 3 if the incident does pose such a threat, and/or has already produced harm to persons and property; such a response is made with sirens sounding, and if necessary, going against traffic laws. Once on the scene, the units and EBOs communicate through several other single-, double-, and triple-digit codes, and various abbreviations. These will be partially covered in the next section of this article, entitled “Subsequent Communications,” and listed in-full in the Appendices of this pamphlet. Eighth, all dispatched incidents are given an incident number. The incident number counter resets back to “1” at midnight. On a given day, LAPD will be dispatched to between 4,500 and 6,500 incidents. The final detail iterated in the initial crime broadcasts is the Reporting District number, or the “RD” number. Reporting districts are subsects of LAPD division. CHAPTER 2, SECTION II. SUBSEQUENT COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN OFFICERS AND 9-11 OPERATORS (EBOs) Following the initial crime broadcast, officers may respond a variety of ways: they may respond saying that they “can handle,” or “will handle upon completion of my current call.” On the other hand, they may indicate that they are “unable to handle,” possibly requesting that the operator “add the call to my stack,” a queueing system that stores calls for a future response. For brevity, we will just cover the most common response to an initial broadcast, which is a “can handle” response. For this response (and all possible responses listed above), the officers and EBOs begin all of their sentences with the officer or officers’ unique unit number, as a way to distinguish their particular communications from others on the same digital stream, and also to obfuscate the officer’s true identities. The officers will iterate their responses to the initial broadcast in the following order: i.) “WILL HANDLE” RESPONSE “[Unit or basic car number] please show myself [and other units, if applicable] responding Code [2 or 3] from [starting address or intersection] to [destination address or intersection].” The EBOs will then broadcast the officer’s response, verbatim, over the division frequencies. An EBO further addressing an officer might ask: “[Unit or basic car number] what is your ETA (estimated time of arrival)?“ ii.) “AT THE SCENE” COMMUNICATIONS Once on the officer is on the scene, they will exit their vehicles, during which they report, in the following order: “[Unit or basic car number] please show me Code 6 at [location].” Code 6 indicates that the officer is out of their vehicle. (There are a series of codes within the Code 6 family; see the appendices.) Alternately, they may state that they are “Code 5 in the vicinity of [location].” Code 5 is an indication of being on stakeout, and an advisory for other officers to avoid the area. (There are a series of codes within the Code 5 family; see the appendices.) Once at the scene, the officers may be confronted with one or more suspects and/or victims. a) IF CONFRONTED WITH SUSPECT(S) If they are confronted with a suspect, they will report whether the suspect is “390” (intoxicated) or armed. They may say “Requesting additional units at [location] for 415-crowd control.” Once in custody, the officer will broadcast a “Code 4”, indicating that no further assistance is needed. b) IF PRESENTED WITH VICTIMS(S) If the officers come upon victims, they will report, in the following format: “[Unit or basic car number] is requesting an R.A. (rescue ambulance) for a [sex], approximately [age] years-of-age, [whether conscious or breathing], suffering from [victim’s injuries and whether conscious and breathing].“ iii.) IF PULLING OVER A VEHICLE If pulling over a vehicle, the officers will sound a Code 6, and then broadcast the make and model of the vehicle, along with the license plate spelled out phonetically using words from the APCO’s Spelling Alphabet; a license plate reading “1ABC123” on a silver 2016 Toyota Corrolla would be broadcast as such: “[Unit or basic car number] show me Code 6 at [address or intersection] on a silver, newer-model Toyota Corolla, license plate is phonetically One, Adam, Boy, Charles, One, Two, Three.“ The EBO will then reciprocate the broadcast, verbatim, to other officers in the division, while the EBO performs a DMV “Wants-and-Warrants” check, and if criminal activity is suspected, the officer will request an “NCIC”, a search through the FBI’s National Crime Information Center. If an arrest is made, the officer and/or EBO will broadcast the arrestee’s identifying information using the same order as when they broadcast suspect and victim details, and using the same APCO alphabet. The APCO’s Spelling Alphabet is used for various communications; see the Appendices for the full alphabet. CHAPTER 2, SECTION III. OTHER LAPD COMMUNICATIONS a) Critical Missing Persons Broadcast “Attention [relevant division] units. Information on a critical-missing [juvenile or adult]. Subject is missing from [address]. Subject’s name is [last-first-middle, and then phonetically spelled out, if deemed necessary]. Subject is a [gender] [race], [age, in years], D.O.B of [date of birth]. [Heavy/medium/thin] build. [Dark/medium/light] complexion. Last seen on [Date last-seen, in MM/DD/YYYY format] at [time in 24-hour format] hours. Mental condition is [Good, fair, poor]. Suffers from [list mental condition, mental afflictions, mental capacity, and need for medications, if applicable]. Any further information, contact [relevant division office].” CHAPTER 3: (APPENDICES) In this pamphlet, we covered initial crime broadcasts, subsequent communications, their protocols, and the most common types of codes. We also covered LAPD cartography, equipment choice, and how to select your own trunking scanner. In doing this we employed, for demonstration, only the most common single-, double-, and triple-digit codes, 10-codes, and other descriptors. These appendices contain full tables of all this information, so that you can fill in the blanks when you get into LAPD radio for yourself! APPENDIX 1. LAPD Divisions, With Corresponding Numbers 1 – Central; 2 – Rampart; 3 – Southwest; 4 – Hollenbeck; 5 – Harbor; 6 – Hollywood; 7 – Wilshire; 8 - West Los Angeles; 9 - Van Nuys; 10 - West Valley; 11 – Northeast; 12 - 77th Street; 13 – Newton; 14 – Pacific; 15 - North Hollywood; 16 – Foothill; 17 – Devonshire; 18 – Southeast; 19 – Mission; 20 – Olympic; 21 - Topanga Remember the organizational breakdown of LAPD’s territory, from largest to smallest: City of Los Angeles, LAPD Bureaus (4 of them), LAPD Divisions (21 of them), and Basic Car Areas and Reporting Districts (several of them within each division). APPENDIX 2. LAPD Officer Unit Numbers (Callsigns), Reporting Districts, and Basic Car Area numbering Officers’ unit numbers are presented in this format: ##A## . The first one or two numbers correspond to the division number. The middle initial denotes the officer’s unit type; A units are the most widespread across the City. The final numbers represent the order in the officer’s unit. Example: Officer Martin Whitfield, the heroic African-American LAPD Officer who nearly bled to death during the North Hollywood Shootout, was unit number 9L89. This indicates that he was from Division 9 (Van Nuys Division), was an “L” Officer (one who travels in a car alone without a partner), and was number 89 of that class within that division. Unit numbers are directly reciprocal to the division, basic car area, and reporting district. Officer Whitfield, as his unit number signifies, was assigned to Reporting District 989, within Basic Car Area 9A89. It is nearly impossible to memorize all the RDs and Basic Car Areas; memorizing the Divisions and their corresponding numbers will suffice. Still, if you are wondering what RD or BCA you live within, the Los Angeles Times’ “Mapping LA” project has a section dedicated to LAPD cartography. maps.latimes.com/lapd/ APPENDIX 3. LAPD Officer Unit Types Speaking of those middle initials in officer unit numbers, here are the rest of them: A: Two-officer patrol car (referred to as "Adam" units) Air: Helicopter Unit B: Two-officer patrol minivan C: Bicycle officers CR: Area Community Relations CP: Command Post DV: Domestic Violence (*Sad to say that domestic violence is one of the most common calls) E: Traffic enforcement—a ticket-writing officer F: Felony Enforcement, Specialized Investigative Unit, or Crime Task Force Unit FB: Foot Beat (Foot Patrol; rare. You see them mostly in Chinatown, Fairfax, Skid Row.) FM: Motor Task Force FP: Security Services Division G: Gang enforcement unit ("George" units) H: Homicide Detective ("Henry" units) J: Juvenile Investigator (Male or female) JW: Juvenile Investigator (Female, specifically.) K: Investigative Services -1K: Headquarters -2K: Burglary/Auto Theft -3K: Bunco/Forgery -4K: Robbery/Homicide -5K: Detective Support -5K90: Special Investigative -5K90C: Special Investigative, Criminal Conspiracy -5K90G: Special Investigative, Gang Section -5K90F: Special Investigative, Fugitive Section K9: Units with police dogs L: Lone officer patrol unit ("Lincoln" units) (“L” can also follow “X” or “T”) M: Motorcycle unit ("Mary" units); usually for traffic enforcement MQ: Motorcycle on special assignment MX: Vehicle DUI Enforcement; Motorcycle DUI enforcement N: Narcotics Investigator OP: Observation Post (a bus/minivan operating as a mobile command unit for major incidents) P: Task force units, operations bureau, or units who perform administrative work Q: Special Detail Officer 1 (“Queen” units) (Works on specific assignments and is not on-call.) -They work special events or unusual occurrences. R: Metropolitan Division (“Robert”) : Elite officers deployed to areas with surges in crime -Metro A Units: Administrative Platoon -Metro B Units: Valley Platoon -Metro C Units: Metro LA Platoon -Metro D Units: SWAT -Metro E Units: Equestrian Units, also called “Mounted Units”, deployed for *visibility* -Metro G Units: Anti-Gang Task Force RP: Security Services Division Mobile Security Patrol S: Two-Officer Senior Lead Unit SL: One-Officer Senior Lean Unit SLO: Senior Lead Officer T: Traffic collision investigator ("Tom" units) TL: Traffic investigator, or their field supervisor (the Traffic Division Sergeant) U: Report-taking Unit ("Union" units) V: Vice Unit ("Victor" units) VS: Visitor Services W: Bureau or Area Detective ("William" units) X: Additional Patrol Unity in an assignment district ("X-ray" units) Y: Special services -2Y: Internal Affairs -4Y: Crime Intelligence -5Y: Terrorism -6Y: Vice Administration -7Y to 9Y: Narcotics – Task Force, Field, and Special Units Z: Special Detail Officer 3 ("Zebra" units) (Works on specific assignments and is not on-call.) -They investigate career criminals and serial criminals. APPENDIX 4. Triple-digit codes (denoting crimes) Appendix 4a. Most Commonly Committed/Broadcast -187: Homicide -(Specifically used when the 187 occurred in the past and the suspect has been located). -"187 suspect there now" -192: Manslaughter -203: Mayhem (Inciting a riot or causing panic unnecessarily) -207: Kidnapping -207A: Kidnapping attempt -Usually the 9-11 operator says, “Kidnap just occurred” or “Kidnap in progress” -211: Robbery -211A: Robbery alarm -211S: Robbery alarm, silent -240: Assault -242: Battery -245: Assault with a deadly weapon -Usually the 9-11 operator says simply, “ADW” -246: Shooting at inhabited dwelling -Usually the 9-11 operator says simply, “Shooting just occurred” -261: Rape -261A: Attempted rape -266: Pimping & Pandering -273D: Wife beating - Felony -311: Indecent exposure, graphic -390: Drunk -390D: Drunk, unconscious -The 9-11 operator usually says, “390-man” or “390-woman” -415: Disturbance -417: Person with a gun -417A: Person with a knife -LAPD operators say, “415 man”, “415 woman”, and “415 man/woman with a knife/gun”. -451: Arson -459: Burglary -459A: Burglar alarm -459 Silent: Burglar alarm, silent -459 Hot prowl: Peeping Tom, Voyeurism -480: Hit and run – Felony -481: Hit and run – Misdemeanor -Usually LAPD operators say, “Hit and run felony” or “Hit and run misdemeanor”. -484: Petty theft -Usually LAPD operators say “484 suspect just left” -487: Grand theft -488: Petty theft -502: Drunk Driving -LAPD typically says, “390 man in a vehicle” -503: Auto theft -507: Public nuisance -505: Reckless driving -507-radio: Loud music or loud party -510: Speeding or racing vehicles -LAPD no longer says 510, and instead says “415 cruisers” or “507 crusiers” -CRENSHAW TAKEOVER!!! b. Less commonly used (or replaced with verbal codes) -101: You are/I am having bad reception. -148: Resisting Arrest -148.1: Bomb Threat/False Bomb Report -148.4: Fire Alarm Abuse -148.5: Phony police report or 911 call -217: Assault with intent to murder, or aggravated assault -272: Encouraging misconduct of a minor -273A: Child neglect -288: Lewd conduct -314: Indecent exposure, other -374: Illegal dumping (A thru E; 374B is most common) -466: Possession of kill kit, rape kit, or burglary kit -470: Forgery -476a: Check fraud -484 b thru i: Credit card fraud -496: Stolen Property -504: Tampering with a vehicle -586: Illegal parking -594: Malicious mischief -595: Runaway car -604: Throwing missiles -647: Lewd conduct -653M: Threatening phone calls APPENDIX 5. Single-digit and double-digit codes (denoting response/officer status) Code 1: “Acknowledge your call.” Used to catch the attention of non-responsive officers. Code 2: Urgent Call – Respond with “less than slight delay”; no lights or siren, follow traffic laws. Code 3: Very Urgent Call – Respond immediately with lights and siren, disregard traffic laws. -Criteria: serious public hazard, immediate pursuit, preservation of life, serious crime in progress, prevention of a serious crime, officer requesting additional. Code 4: “No further assistance needed and suspect is in custody.” -All officers not on the scene shall return to assigned area; “downgrade your response.” -Code 4-Adam: No assistance needed, but suspect is at large. Respond strategically. Code 5: “Stakeout. All other units stay out of the area except for emergency responses.” -When a code 5 is no longer needed, the officer requests to “Clear Code 5.” -Code 5 Edward: Hazard to Air Units; Air units should avoid the area. Code 6: “Out of car, investigating. No assistance is need AT THIS TIME.” -Code 6-Adam: I might need assistance. Position yourselves to respond to my area. -Code 6-Charles: Position in a strategic position over the suspect. -Code 6-George: Requesting assistance for gang activity. -Code 6-Mary: Prepare to respond to possible militant activity. Code 7: Meal break, restroom, or other break. Must be requested by officer and granted by EBO. Code 8 and Code 8-Adam: “Fire hazard. Respond accordingly.” Code 9: Summer uniform (Only used by LA County Sheriffs.) Code 10: “Clear frequency in order to broadcast wants and warrants on a suspect.” Code 11: SWAT Team Call-up Code 12: Used by officers responding to burglary alarm; indicates a false alarm at the scene. Code 20: Incident is of an unusual or spectacular nature; public may interfere with investigation. Code 30: Alarm reported by alarm company; respond to general vicinity but remain on-call. -Code 30-Adam: Property is being monitored audibly; respond but remain on-call. -Code 30-Ringer: Property has audible alarm sounding; respond but remain on-call. -Code 30-Victor: Visual verification alarm data sent to police. Respond immediately. Code 37: Subject, Property, or Vehicle wanted -MOST commonly used to say that after a DMV Wants-And-Warrants Search, a vehicle came back as “stolen” or “wanted.” Code 99: “Emergency, officer needs help. All units in vicinity respond.” Code 100: “In position to intercept person or vehicle.” APPENDIX 6. Abbreviations AC: Aircraft crash. ADW: Assault with a dealy weapon. ATO: Auxiliary Telephone Operator (makes telephone calls) BCC: Bureau Communications Coordinator (dispatch supervisors) BT: Bomb Threat CDL: California driver’s license CP: Command Post CSOC: Community Safety Operation Center; works Central Bureau, South Bureau, Gang, and Metro Division DB: Dead body (Also: 187-DB for a suspected homicide and DB-Natural for natural causes). DOA: Dead on arrival DOB: Date of birth EBO: Emergency board operators (people working 9-11 call centers) EOW: End of watch, goodnight. FB: Fallen Balloon. FI: Field Interview FLIR: Forward Looking Infra-Red FST: Field Sobriety Test FTA: Failure to appear in court GOA: Suspect or victims “gone on arrival” of officers at the scene. KMA: Short for LAPD's FCC call letters, KMA367. -Used at end of lengthy conversations to clear the channel, or indicate that regular broadcasting may resume. QT: Secrecy required regarding location. MDT: Mobile Data Terminal NCIC: National Crime Information Center NFD: No Further Details [this is almost always read in-full] NRD: No Report Desired -Used when the person reporting (PR) does not want to speak with police, usually due to witness intimidation or adherence to the practice of "no snitching." PIO: Public Information Officer PIT: Pursuit Intervention Technique PSR: Police Service Representative RA: Rescue ambulance RIP: Receipt In Progress RO: Registered owner, usually of a vehicle PR: Person reporting (i.e. who called 9-11) -Frequently you hear, “PR does not wish to meet” because of the fear of retaliation. ROVER: Hand held radio RTO: Radio Telephone Operator (dispatchers) TC: Traffic Collision -Followed by whether the TC is “officer- involved” or “officer-uninvolved” UTL: Unable To Locate VIN: Vehicle Identification Number. APPENDIX 7. Other LAPD Parlance “Roger”: Message received; will comply “Come In”: You are being called "Code Sam Equipped": A Unit Equipped With a Beanbag Shotgun "Code Sam-40 Equipped": A Unit Equipped With a 40 MM launcher "Code Tom Equipped": A Unit Equipped With a Taser (units) "Code Robert" or "Code Robert UPR": Request for heavier caliber weapons, "urban police rifles," which comprises various Bushmaster, Colt, and Smith&Wesson rifles chambered in .223 caliber. “Break” and "Continuing": Used by officers making a Citywide Tactical Alert broadcast to indicate a pause in their broadcast, so that other officers do not make their own unrelated broadcasts for the time being. "Came in broken": When a radio message transmits incompletely. “Clear No”: calls outstanding against unit; available for call “End of Watch”: Unit has completed tour of duty for the day, or night. -Sometimes you can hear retirement broadcasts! These are very touching. “Go Ahead”: Proceed with your message “Juvenile Check”: Determine whether there is want, hold, or criminal record for juvenile subject. “No Want”: No want or hold on subject or vehicle of inquiry. “No Warrant”: No vehicle warrants. “Out”: Out of service; not available for call (when no other code applies, followed by the reason). “Repeat”: Self-explanatory “Requesting wants and warrants”: Determine whether a vehicle is wanted or is to be held. “Requesting DMV”: Requesting information regarding vehicle registration. "Shop": A squad car. (You will also note that a lot of parlance revolves around an officer's positions relative to their car, or "shop.") "Shop Tow": A request for a tow truck to tow a squad car (Due to accident, mechanics, etc.) "Stepped on": When two or more officers accidentally broadcast on their radios at the same time and the transmissions come in broken. “Stand By”: "Wait until a suitable answer is determined" -or- "do not transmit." APPENDIX 8. APCO Alphabet (also called “LAPD Alphabet”) A: Adam B: Boy C: Charles D: David E: Edward F: Frank G: George H: Henry I: Ida J: John K: King L: Lincoln M: Mary N: Nora O: Ocean P: Paul Q: Queen R: Robert S: Sam T: Tom U: Union V: Victor W: William X: X-ray Y: Young Z: Zebra APPENDIX 9. 10-codes and 11-codes For brevity, look up a list of 10-codes and 11-codes. They are mostly used by Sheriffs and occasionally, LAPD. Make sure you look at the list for Los Angeles County, as counties across the country have their own 10- and 11- systems. UPDATE: Attached below is bearcat1.com 's pithy list of 10- and 11-codes by jurisdiction.
APPENDIX 10: Los Angeles County Police and Fire Frequencies. For brevity, look up a list of Los Angeles County frequencies. There are over many dozens for LAPD alone. Radio Reference is your authoritative source for this. https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=201 APPENDIX 11: Navigating Los Angeles Los Angeles cartographers, contrary to popular belief, came up with some neat mnemonics for navigating the city, which does not have the luxury of being perfectly flat or having been annexed all at once, as with other cities. For brevity, check out Section 4 of my article, “The Entirely Readable City: Notes on Los Angeles Cartography,” entitled “IV. A Postal System to Unite this New City of Neighborhoods” http://theasphaltisland.weebly.com/prose/the-entirely-readable-city-notes-on-los-angeles-cartography-and-street-grid-s HAPPY SCANNING !!! Hit me up with any questions.
23 Comments
Joe Friday
6/14/2019 12:59:44 am
your research is flawed. The APX-8000 wasn't available in 2001.
Reply
7/10/2019 11:28:56 pm
Emphasis on: "In 2001, the department began its full digital switchover following the rambunctious Lakers Victory Parade that year[...] "
Reply
7/10/2019 11:45:23 pm
And anyhow, even if it were incorrect, its not like one inaccuracy spoils the entirety of the research. ¡Calmate!
Reply
Some Radio Nerd
8/8/2020 10:32:13 pm
Joe Friday is correct. Furthermore, the APX series and Astro Saber series are two separate families of radios. The correct chronology is as follows:
Reply
5/7/2023 10:25:14 am
Thank you for reading my site, and thank you for providing your feedback, SomeRadioNerd :). I actually doubt LAPD will change their radio transmission methods anytime soon, to encrypted or otherwise. It would be expensive--updating all of their handsets, towers, etc. would tens of millions of dollars. The 2020-2021 cuts to their budget also complicates things.
1A86
6/15/2019 01:59:09 am
Where can i find the real 10 codes and 11 codes of the LAPD ?
Reply
7/10/2019 11:43:40 pm
Thank you for your read, 1A86. I have updated the article to include a list of bearcat1.com 's pithy list of 10- and 11- codes by jurisdiction.
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David
11/5/2019 06:22:43 pm
What model/type of scanner do you use? I've been looking to purchase one myself but am having trouble, I want to make sure I get the right one; as they can be pricey you already know.
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11/6/2019 01:29:11 pm
Hello, David. Thank you very much for your read and your comment.
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Jeremy
2/12/2020 08:37:09 pm
If someone is from Special Investigations, Criminal Conspiracy (5K90C), does their code have to be preceded with a division code (e.g. 1-5K90C), or is their role not geographical and not require one? And does the code have to end with some kind of unit number, eg, 5K90C-five?
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3/19/2020 10:40:46 am
A) The Special Investigation Section (SIS) is its own section within the LAPD. They are not assigned to divisions, but bureaus and areas. They do not have a division code that precedes their unit numbers.
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Logan Powaski
6/10/2020 05:57:55 pm
Hi I'm having trouble getting my scanner to pickup LAPD. is there any suggestions or assistance you can help me with
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Luis Ascencio
6/18/2020 08:45:23 pm
Make sure your scanner is able to pick up P25 Type II Frequencies. I also had bought the wrong scanner but was able to buy the proper one and now I am able to listen to LAPD radio traffic.
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7/27/2020 12:37:58 pm
Hi, Logan!
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Logan Powaski
2/28/2023 11:46:19 am
Hello! Thank you for your response! I ended up getting it to work shortly after I messaged. I was just programming it improperly! I still use this page all the time for a refresher on the language. Thank you for writing this.
Foxtrot
6/17/2020 05:59:05 pm
You forgot to mention the abbreviation NRD which means No Report Desired.
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7/27/2020 12:41:39 pm
Foxtrot:
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12/14/2020 11:26:54 am
I would like to buy the best portable unit that would get me the most LAPD. Can you make a specific recommendation? And can you recommend the best person to set it up for me? I'm a novice at radio but not at law and I'm very concerned about the rising crime rates in Los Angeles.
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John Robinson
1/22/2022 04:29:20 pm
Can you tell me what an LAPD Radio Code; Code-6 Zebra is? Thanks 🙏
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1/21/2023 02:04:33 pm
Hello John,
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Randy
4/1/2022 07:56:10 am
Greetings, would you know of a database or aggregator of sorts that records these communications? Besides the LAPD of course. I would very much (willing to pay) to get my hands on a recording of communications over LAPD radio on 7/3/2019 between 15:00 and 20:00. Thank you reading my post, good day.
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4/1/2022 03:21:51 pm
Randy, I don't know of an aggregator but have two thoughts to share: first, if your interest has to do with a lawsuit, meaning a case that has been filed at court already, you can get a log of communications (not the recordings necessarily) as well as body worn video camera footage by making a request for production; second, try a California public records request.
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Randy
4/1/2022 05:19:51 pm
Thank you sir. Got those, but still. There is a reference to an incident. Number that doesn’t exist Leave a Reply. |
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