A police code is a numerical brevity code for a crime, incident, or instructions for police officers. The police officers can use it to communicate quickly and efficiently with other law enforcement personnel in the field. Police codes are typically short phrases that include numbers and letters.
The first number represents the type of call, while the second number represents an action taken by responding officers. Police in the U.S. uses ten codes to describe the situation. The code is followed by a dash and another number that tells the exact nature of the situation. The code 10-45 is used quite commonly during police radio chatter and has the following different meanings under various jurisdictions.
General Purpose
Generally, code 10-45 describes the situation in which an animal carcass is discovered. This code is communicated over the radio to let the authorities know the carcass’s location and other details.
APCO
APCO stands for Association of Police Communications Officers. It is the world’s oldest and largest organization of public safety communications professionals. According to APCO standards, code 10-45 communicates a bomb threat over radio chatter.
Norfolk, VA
In the Norfolk jurisdiction, the same code is used to let the dispatchers know of a fight. The code is followed by the location where the fight is taking place.
Walnut Creek, CA
In Walnut Creek, CA, the code 10-45 is used to know the patient’s condition. The code also has subcategories that all represent different situations. The subcategories are 10-45A used to communicate that the condition of the patient is good. 10-45B for the condition of the patient is serious. 10-45C for the condition of the patient is critical. 10-45D is used to communicate that the patient is deceased.
Police codes are used to make communications quick and effective for officers in the field, as they require real-time information because they are dealing with life and death situations. The code 10-45 has various meanings, each having utmost importance, but most commonly, it is used to know the patient’s condition.
To learn more about different police codes, visit our blog section.