{"id":206,"date":"2007-10-13T18:49:11","date_gmt":"2007-10-13T22:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/boston-police-codes\/"},"modified":"2015-08-13T13:40:44","modified_gmt":"2015-08-13T17:40:44","slug":"boston-police-codes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/tutorials\/boston-police-codes\/","title":{"rendered":"Boston Police Radio Codes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This page is a compilation of information from around the web and from my having listened myself for several years. This information is provided solely for educational purposes, and with no guarantee of accuracy. These aren&#8217;t <em>secret<\/em> codes; they&#8217;re radio codes, similar to 10-codes (<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ten-code\">ten-codes<\/a>), compiled from freely available information and from years of experience listening to Boston Police frequencies on a police scanner.<\/p>\n<h2>Table of Contents<\/h2>\n<p>This page has gotten kind of long; here&#8217;s some quick navigation aids:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#service_codes\">Service Codes<\/a>, e.g., &#8220;Code 10&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dispo_codes\">Disposition Codes<\/a>, e.g., &#8220;7 Charlie&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#codes_abbrev\">Other Codes &#038; Abbreviations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#callsigns\">Unit IDs \/ Callsigns<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#ext_links\">Other (External) Links<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><a id=\"service_codes\" name=\"service_codes\"><\/a>Service Codes<\/h2>\n<p>You&#8217;ll often hear a lot of &#8220;Code 19&#8221; and the like on Boston Police frequencies. Here&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve found the codes mean:<\/p>\n<table>\n  <thead>\n    <tr>\n      <th>\n        Code\n      <\/th>\n\n      <th>\n        Meaning\n      <\/th>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/thead>\n\n  <tbody>\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 1\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Vehicle maintenance\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 2\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Radio maintenance\/repair\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 3\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Training\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 4\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Transporting a female\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 5\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Transporting a prisoner\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 6\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Off at a court appearance\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 7\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        On escort duty\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 8\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        School crossing duty\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 9\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Station (headquarters) assignment\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 10\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Meal break (you&#8217;ll usually hear this as &#8220;Am I clear for a 10?&#8221;)\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 11\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Serving warrant\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 12\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Serving warrant (&#8220;Warrant unit for pickup&#8221;)\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 13\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        On assignment outside city limits\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 14\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        MV Tow\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 15\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Traffic enforcement\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 16\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Moving violation \/ routine traffic stop\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 17\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Car wash\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 18\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        At shooting range\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 19\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        On foot patrol (a &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Boston_Police_Department#Community_Policing\">walk and talk<\/a>&#8220;)\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 20\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        At gas station\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 21\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        En-route \/ travel to and from post (I don&#8217;t hear this often)\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 22\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Covering emergency shelter\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 23\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Guarding prisoner\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 24\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Protective (Restraining) Order Service\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 25\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Community service meeting\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 26\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        On duty at special event\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 99\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        &#8220;Special Threat Situation,&#8221; involving (1) Barricaded Suspect, (2) Hostage situation, (3) Suicide threat, or (4) Execution of search or arrest warrants.\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 100\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Crowd Control Problem\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 101\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Fire \/ Explosion \/ Structural Collapse Incident\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 102\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Mass Casualty Incident\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 103\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Natural Disaster\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 104\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) or WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction)\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Code 105\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Active Shooter &#8220;Rapid Deployment Protocol&#8221;\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Code 99 &#8211; Code 105 are defined in the Department&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cityofboston.gov\/Images_Documents\/rule200_tcm3-9574.pdf\">Rule 200: Critical Incident Management [PDF]<\/a> and are not common.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"dispo_codes\" name=\"dispo_codes\"><\/a>Disposition Codes<\/h2>\n<p>You&#8217;ll often hear officers call in, &#8220;You can give me a 14 Paul&#8221; or whatnot. These are known as &#8220;Miscel&#8221; codes, short for &#8220;Miscellaneous&#8221; and pronounced &#8220;missile.&#8221; The first part is the number, the second is a letter. Here&#8217;s the breakdown&#8230;<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n  <thead>\n    <tr>\n      <th>\n        Code\n      <\/th>\n\n      <th>\n        Meaning\n      <\/th>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/thead>\n\n  <tbody>\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        1\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Burglar Alarm\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        2\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Citizen Alarm (?)\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        3\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Person calling for help\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        4\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Escort\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        5\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Fire Alarm\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        6\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Domestic\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        7\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Disturbance\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        8\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Investigate Persons\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        9\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Investigate Premises\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        10\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Landlord-Tenant Dispute\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        11\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Lockout\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        12\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Noise complaint\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        13\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Prowler\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        14\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Police services (traffic)\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        15\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Intoxicated person (&#8220;DK&#8221;)\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        16\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Disturbance in structure\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        23\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Emotionally Disturbed Person\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>And then the latter half, the letters:<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n  <thead>\n    <tr>\n      <th>\n        Code\n      <\/th>\n\n      <th>\n        Meaning\n      <\/th>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/thead>\n\n  <tbody>\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        Adam\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        No incident occurred\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        Boy\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Unable to locate RP\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        Charlie\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Address not found\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        Delta\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Not a police matter\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        Edward\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Suspect GOA\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        Frank\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Peace restored\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        George\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        &#8220;Advised Warrant&#8221;\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        Henry\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Advised to call again if necessary\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        Ida\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Taken into station\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        John\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Field Investigation Report\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        King\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Traffic citation issued\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        Lincoln\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Parking citation issued\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        Mary\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Advised to seek legal help\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        Nora\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Accidental alarm\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        Ocean\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        False alarm\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        Paul\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Services rendered\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Here are some of the common ones:<\/p>\n<dl>\n<dt>14 Paul:<\/dt>\n<dd>Clear a traffic stop or similar<\/dd>\n\n<dt>8 Boy:<\/dt>\n<dd>Unable to locate person (or address, incorrectly)<\/dd>\n\n<dt>8 John:<\/dt>\n<dd><a href=\"#fio\">FIO<\/a> (see below) data taken on an individual<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<h2><a id=\"codes_abbrev\" name=\"codes_abbrev\"><\/a>Additional Codes &#038; Abbreviations<\/h2>\n<p>Some additional codes are used; they&#8217;re usually easy to remember because they&#8217;re simply abbreviations. In most cases, they&#8217;re given phonetically (e.g., &#8220;Ocean Nora&#8221; instead of &#8220;O-N&#8221;)<\/p>\n<dl>\n<dt>Ocean Nora (ON):<\/dt>\n<dd>On the air \/ In service<\/dd>\n\n<dt>Ocean Frank (OF):<\/dt>\n<dd>Off the air \/ Signing off (&#8220;Ocean Frank&#8221;)<\/dd>\n\n<dt>DK:<\/dt>\n<dd>Intoxicated (<strong>d<\/strong>run<strong>k<\/strong>): usually they say this as &#8220;DK&#8221; instead of &#8220;Delta Kilo&#8221; as one might expect<\/dd>\n\n<dt>Charlie Robert (CR):<\/dt>\n<dd>Clear<\/dd>\n\n<dt>Adam Robert (AR):<\/dt>\n<dd>Arriving on scene (&#8220;Adam Robert&#8221;)<\/dd>\n\n<dt>L20:<\/dt>\n<dd>Out of the car, longer than 20 minutes (An &#8220;L20 report&#8221; is common; sometimes you&#8217;ll even hear of a &#8220;long L20,&#8221; which is kind of redundant)<\/dd>\n\n<dt>R:<\/dt>\n<dd>As in, &#8220;Clear with an R.&#8221; Short for &#8220;report&#8221;<\/dd>\n\n<dt><a id=\"fio\" name=\"fio\"><\/a> FIO:<\/dt>\n<dd>Field Intelligence Observation. Someone will often be stopped &#8220;for FIO purposes only,&#8221; meaning that they haven&#8217;t necessarily committed a crime, but that the police will take their information and enter it into a database. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cityofboston.gov\/Images_Documents\/rule323_tcm3-9615.pdf\">BPD Rules &#038; Procedures document [PDF]<\/a> describing the FIO process.)<\/dd>\n\n<dt>209A:<\/dt>\n<dd>A reference to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mass.gov\/legis\/laws\/mgl\/gl-209a-toc.htm\">Chapter 209A of the Massachusetts General Laws<\/a>, usually used to refer to protective restraining orders.<\/dd>\n\n<dt>94C:<\/dt>\n<dd>A similar reference to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mass.gov\/legis\/laws\/mgl\/gl-94c-toc.htm\">MGL, Chapter 94C<\/a>, concerning controlled substances. In practice, &#8220;94C&#8221; is almost always used to reference marijuana, although it can refer to any illegal drug. (It&#8217;s not a 10-code: &#8220;10-94c&#8221; doesn&#8217;t make sense. It&#8217;s a reference to section 94c of the law.)<\/dd>\n\n<dt>Go to 7 (or 9):<\/dt>\n<dd>A request that an officer switch to Channel 7 or Channel 9, two unit-to-unit channels. Channel 9 is used by detectives; Channel 7 is used by nearly everyone.<\/dd>\n\n<dt>Go up:<\/dt>\n<dd>See above: a reference to going &#8220;up&#8221; to channel 7 (usually) or 9 (rarely)<\/dd>\n\n<dt>Nova Base:<\/dt>\n<dd>Channel 8; charged with &#8220;info requests&#8221; such as license status and registration lookups.<\/dd>\n\n<dt>ABPO:<\/dt>\n<dd>Short for &#8220;Assault and Battery on a Police Officer&#8221;<\/dd>\n\n<dt>ABDW:<\/dt>\n<dd>Short for &#8220;Assault and Battery with a Deadly Weapon&#8221;<\/dd>\n\n<dt>All Out<\/dt>\n<dd>A broadcast (preceded by a long steady tone) occurring on all channels of the BPD radio system, used for announcements that need to reach multiple channels. (Not to be confused with the &#8220;all out&#8221; on fire radio, which means something entirely different&#8230;)<\/dd>\n\n<dt>BOLO:<\/dt>\n<dd>&#8220;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">B<\/span>e <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">o<\/span>n the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">l<\/span>ook<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">o<\/span>ut&#8221; &#8211; what most people call an APB. Given for fresh, major crimes, like a suspect on the loose or a stolen car.<\/dd>\n\n<dt>BOP:<\/dt>\n<dd>Literally &#8220;Board of Probations,&#8221; a BOP is essentially someone&#8217;s criminal history, or &#8220;rap sheet&#8221; if this were a Hollywood movie.<\/dd>\n\n<dt>Good to Go:<\/dt>\n<dd>Indicates that the person described has cause for arrest; usually used in the context of a traffic stop. (e.g., an unmarked car may request a marked cruiser stop a suspect&#8217;s car, noting &#8220;the driver is good to go for assault.&#8221;)<\/dd>\n\n<dt>Occupied Twice \/ Occupied Times Two:<\/dt>\n<dd>The number of people in a car, called in at the time of a stop.<\/dd>\n\n<dt>EDT<\/dt>\n<dd>Emergency Deployment Team. Designated officers carry tactical equipment during their shifts, and are able to respond to any district in the city when the EDT is deployed. (See the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cityofboston.gov\/Images_Documents\/rule201_tcm3-9576.pdf\">BPD Rules &#038; Procedures PDF<\/a> governing EDTs, part of Rule 201 regarding Homeland Security.)<\/dd>\n\n<dt>PS<\/dt>\n<dd><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cityofboston.gov\/Images_Documents\/rule104A.pdf\">Patrol Supervisor<\/a>. Typically a Sergeant; help in the field where officers need a supervisor.<\/dd>\n\n<dt>DS<\/dt>\n<dd>Duty Supervisor. <strike>I&#8217;m unable to find clear documentation on their exact duties; a DS appears to outrank a PS.<\/strike> Generally a Lieutenant assigned to the station, overseeing their district. (Thanks, Jeff, for the clarification!)<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<h2><a id=\"callsigns\" name=\"callsigns\"><\/a>Unit IDs (Callsigns)<\/h2>\n<p>Unit designators are usually expressed as four characters, like &#8220;Lima 211.&#8221; These are often referenced as callsigns. The first, a letter, denotes a location: each district has one, listed below. The second character denotes the type of unit, e.g. a wagon, 2-man unit, K9 unit, etc. The last two is a unique unit identifier. (Primary source: BPD Rules and Procedures, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cityofboston.gov\/Images_Documents\/rule324A.pdf\">Rule 324A &#8211; Two-Way Radio and Mobile Data Terminal Procedures [PDF]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Locations<\/h3>\n<table>\n  <thead>\n    <tr>\n      <th>\n        Name\n      <\/th>\n\n      <th>\n        District\n      <\/th>\n\n      <th>\n        Location\n      <\/th>\n\n      <th>\n        Channel\n      <\/th>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/thead>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td>\n        Alpha\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        District 1\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Charleston, Downtown\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        2\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Bravo\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        District 2\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Roxbury\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        3\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Charlie\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        District 3\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Mattapan\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        3\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Delta\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        District 4\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Back Bay, South End\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        5\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Echo\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        District 5\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        W. Roxbury\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        4\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Fox\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        District 6\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        S. Boston\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        6\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Gold\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        District 7\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        E. Boston\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        2\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Harry\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        District 11\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Dorcester\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        6\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Jake\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        District 13\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Jamaica Plain\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        4\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Kilo\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        District 14\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Alston, Brighton\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        5\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Lima\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        District 18\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Hyde Park\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        4\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Mike\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Special Events\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Bureau of Field Services (BFS)\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        \u2014\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Nova\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Operations\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        (License lookups)\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        8\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Romeo\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        \u2014\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Paid Detail\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        \u2014\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Silver\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        \u2014\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Bureau of Administrative Services (BAS)\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        \u2014\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Tango\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        \u2014\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Special Ops\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        &#8212;\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Victor\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Detective\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Bureau of Investigative Services (BIS)\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        &#8212;\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        X-Ray\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Internal Affairs\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Bureau of Internal Investigations (BII)\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        \u2014\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Yankee\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        \u2014\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Administration\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        &#8212;\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td>\n        Zebra\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        \u2014\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        Housing Police\n      <\/td>\n\n      <td>\n        \u2014\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr> \n  <\/table>\n<h2>Unit Types<\/h2>\n<table border=\"0\">\n  <thead>\n    <tr>\n      <th>\n        Number\n      <\/th>\n      <th>\n        Meaning\n      <\/th>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/thead>\n  <tbody>\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        1\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Rapid response\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        2\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Patrol wagon\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        3\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Motorcycle\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        4\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Neighborhood Services Unit\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        5\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        K9 unit\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        6\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Neighborhood Beat Officers\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        7\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Mounted patrol\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        8\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Detective\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        9\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Sergeant\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        A\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Lieutenant\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        B\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Captain\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        C\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Command\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"even\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        D\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        &#8220;Other&#8221;\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr class=\"odd\">\n      <td valign=\"top\" align=\"center\">\n        K\n      <\/td>\n      <td valign=\"top\">\n        Anti-crime Unit\n      <\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\n  During shift changes, or when units stay on beyond their normal times, a fifth digit is used to denote the shift. A-shift is 11:45pm to 7:30am; D-shift is 7:30am to 4pm, and F-shift is 4pm to 11:45pm. A four-digit number is used by officers who are not &#8220;logged on,&#8221; e.g., off-duty officers or those on paid details; the number used is the one engraved on their radio.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n  There are some unconventional unit IDs. Peter S. from the <a href=\"http:\/\/groups.yahoo.com\/group\/sme2\/\">sme2 mailing list<\/a> has <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheet\/ccc?key=0AoX8tpb0l73sdGVHLXUyY2c0alFUV21lSXBXUF9SWHc&#038;hl=en_US#gid=0\">a compilation of them<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n  Some that I&#8217;ve heard myself:\n<\/p>\n<dl>\n  <dt>\n    Yankee Charlie\n  <\/dt>\n  <dd>\n    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/local\/breaking_news\/2009\/09\/boston_names_ne_1.html\">Superintendent in Chief<\/a>\n  <\/dd>\n  <dt>\n    Tango Charlie 1\n  <\/dt>\n  <dd>\n    Captain, Special Ops.\n  <\/dd>\n  <dt>\n    Tango Gold 1, Tango Gold 2\n  <\/dt>\n  <dd>\n    &#8220;Gun car&#8221; with special ops, carrying heavy weaponry\n  <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<h3>\n  External Links\n<\/h3>\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bearcat1.com\/radioma.htm\">bearcat1.com Massachusetts radio info<\/a>\n  <\/li>\n  <li>\n    <a href=\"http:\/\/home.comcast.net\/~garys2\/scanguide\/boston.htm\">garys&#8217;s Boston info<\/a> (offline)\n  <\/li>\n  <li>\n    <strong>Frequency info<\/strong>:\n    <ul>\n      <li>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/scan-ne.net\/wiki\/index.php?title=Boston_Police_Department\">Scan New England<\/a>\n      <\/li>\n      <li>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.radioreference.com\/apps\/db\/?ctid=1225#cid-22530\">Radio Reference<\/a>\n      <\/li>\n    <\/ul>\n  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n  73, Matt, N1ZYY\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This page is a compilation of information from around the web and from my having listened myself for several years. This information is provided solely for educational purposes, and with no guarantee of accuracy. These aren&#8217;t secret codes; they&#8217;re radio &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/tutorials\/boston-police-codes\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":59,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-206","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/206\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/59"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.n1zyy.com\/n1zyy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}