And yet, this isn’t the same format used across Australia. And BossHogg – well, there was no doubt who the team leader was. Taz was totally OCD/Hyperactive. Listening to the recording, I learned that the Cleveland police officer identified himself as Adam-23 (later as 2-Adam-23). I didn’t delete this duplicate because since I approved both comments, future comments from you won’t have to be moderated. Course, you knew that. Reblogs are fine as long as they're linked to the original post. Aaron T. Braddock (aarontbraddock) Lists. The next one will be science fiction. Thanks again! 10-61 weather conditions ? Really, Craig? Kudos to Chrys Fey for doing such extensive research for authenticity and for sharing. That will let you listen to radio feeds from police departments all over the country. If you haven't opted-in to my community, I will NOT add your name/email address to receive my newsletter and/or blog posts. 1C01 - 1C09. “Chilling. She is not sweet and caring. No exceptions. Remember to use the correct procedure words where applicable. As you know, some of the terms are downright hilarious too! You have a wonderful community. This post is a keeper. Lots of useful stuff in the comments, too! That’s why it’s also hard to figure out what the police in each area use. Police Call Signs: How To Use Them In Your Fiction Writing, Follow me on Amazon (click image of books), Not Interested in Blog? Luckily, 30 Seconds Before isn’t a police procedural. I hope you can figure out the call signs and 10 codes you’ll need for your story. Too much unknown for me to even decide on authenticity, but I can appreciate those who do preferring to have it. 10-5 Relay message. QLD Police use VKR, NSW Police use VKG and in Victoria police communications were referred to as VKC. If you have a way to ask someone in the field, that’s a smart way to go. Police call signs vary from agency to agency. I hadn’t thought about it either. I never really stopped to think about call signs before but it makes sense there would be district/regional codes involved. Other Codes & Abbreviations 4. The best radio communication is to keep it simple (KISS) so it’s clear and memorable. Two characters: indicating the home station, beat area or district in which the unit primarily operates. The best part is, they both want to read MARRED. It was such a pleasure having Chrys here. Thank you so much for having me on your blog! Of course! . I’ve never enjoyed police procedural books. As with A1.5 each unit has their own dedicated calls signs . Whenever someone wants to write about the police force, it’s so important to do research, because codes and call signs differ every which way you go. Closed-mic call signs, which are encrypted, are a bit more personal as they’re talking between themselves and more familiar with each other. Q2 - Trojan and 2-3 numbers are used for ARVs, Do Units Like CTSFO and SFO use Different callsigns to show priority? Thanks. Cleveland dispatch when they found three women, 9 Ways To Build Suspense ~ Fiction Writing, http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=7337, The Paranormal Bar and Grill – Will O’ the Wisp. I didn’t realize you were on the job, Bob. Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Sue! This is for what’s known as open-mic radio which can be scanned by the public. Your get-togethers must be a blast! . Contacting the police jurisdiction is a great thing to do, which is why I mentioned it. Chrys Fey, my guest today, certainly did her homework when she decided to use police call signs in her latest novel, 30 Seconds to Die. Thank you for visiting, Margot! Sometimes you’ll see 4-character call signs. Hi, Mae! I can identify a bit with one of the previous comments (SK) – nurses love to eat their young. The East Midlands Air Support Unit operate across Northamptonshire, Warwickshire & Leicestershire and use the PRN number of the lead force in the consortium - Leicestershire - and are therefore Police 22. And, of course, the beats and sectors are in different places. SVM1 Auckland Motorways motorcycle unit, section 1. Having worked in the field for thirty-five years in everything from E.R. *sigh* A fine line, indeed. It just has to be believable, and should be based upon reality. Hahahahaha! These cookies cannot be switched off because the website wouldn’t work properly anymore. ANTI ARMED ROBBERY SQUAD. This made it difficult to figure out an accurate call sign for my character. Omaha Police radio call signs MeanStreetsOMA October 10, 2013 December 2, 2016 Omaha Police Department , Scanner Nerd Junk Example of what you may hear: “1 XXXX 12” OMG, hilarious!!! 30 Seconds Before can be found on Amazon. x = (1 to 6 - Police patrol zone. A surveillance unit would be: Oscar1, Oscar2, Oscar3, etc depending on how many on the surveillance team. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. We meet every other Wed. from 3-4 p.m. Eastern. Add this to our never-ending list of fine lines for crime writers to walk. To figure this out, there was a lot of hair pulling, aggravation, and research. 105 was across the river in a small town in WV that my hometown PD dispatched for. Cro-Magnon Man was the most fitting. Normally, fighters use callsign + 11, callsign + 21, etc. Thanks. Other times, you’ll see a call sign like 3-Adam-2, which is for an officer on day-shift 3 for beat 2 in sector A (Adam). When writers research, their stories ring more true-to-life. Craig recently posted…The Paranormal Bar and Grill – Will O’ the Wisp. You betcha, Chrys. Your personal information will never be sold or shared with any third parties. I read some of the most ridiculous info about hospitals and nursing practice in books. Then Cro would pick up Ozzie by the top of the tac-vest and down at the belt and just run him right in while Ozzie worked an MP-5 in front of the entry team. Oh, so sorry you had trouble posting a comment, Sheila. So I guess things, they are a changin’. Two characters that identify the geographical area of responsibility. 10-1 Reception poor. It's deliberately meant to be different to the unit callsigns, and radio protocol requires units to call using their callsign and address any transmissions to VKR (and not speak directly to other units). After watching TV shows and movies, which usually aren’t that accurate, I thought call signs were the same. Local PD was very small and only had 6 cars working at any one time. I’ve been stuck in my writer’s cave and only now came out for air. LOL, The names came from all over the place. Mother and Sonny were roommates and clean-freaks. She’s also an editor for Dancing Lemur Press. M2MP- Full Call Sign for Main Set Channel for Information Room Claim Books Here (click image). First, I had to find out what the sectors in Cleveland are and what format the officers used for their call signs. I’ve built this blog with this notion in mind…to help save you time, and Chrys certainly delivers with this post. Although pilot call signs were only thrust into the limelight in the late 1980’s after the release of the movie “Top Gun,” they have a long history of use in military circles. I usually tweet if it’s week on or off. Thank you. ):traffic supervisor, TL units usually carry the rank of Sergeant; M: Motorcycle unit ("Mary"); (MQ: motorcycle on special assignment, MQ: DUI enforcement) C or "cycle": Bicycle unit; CP: Command Post Unit type codes are as follows (Trial call sign unit identifiers in use in Counties Manukau and Bay of Plenty districts are also listed): http://www.radiowiki.org.nz/index.php?title=Police_Callsign_Types&oldid=4621, Armed Offender Squad incident control point, Aviation Security Service pandemic response assistance team, Crime Car (CIB patrol for initial attendance at serious crimes), Incident Patrol (Uniform); also Public Safety Team (multi crew), Combined investigative unit; also Public Safety Team (single crew), Single crewed unit attends historic/non urgent incidents, Rural Patrol Unit; also Road Policing Unit, Public Safety Team Sergeant (PST is the new name for General Duties), General Traffic unit (road policing/CVST), Misc Traffic units (Speed Cameras/Commercial Vehicle investigation units), Diplomatic Protection Squad; also Community Patrols. What are Police Call Signs? Fantastic addition to the post. I will definitely check it out. The one I picked, no doubt, is assigned, but it is used factitiously in 30 Seconds Before. Police jargon is a language unlike any other, don’t you think? We have a lot of fun, too. My chief was a former deputy in that county, so used the same format for our college department. Alfred lost a bet over “she who’s name shall not be mentioned”. 400 > 469 - Water Police 470 > 499 - Air Wing 500 > 599 - Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) 600 > 699 - Traffic Management Unit (TMU) 700 > 799 - Protective Services Group 800 > 899 - Foot Patrols (Special Events & Transit Police) 900 - Police Station Example: VKC to Moe 610 for a Code 12. I'll give an example from my department, followed by an explanation of what it means: 31-PS-1A 31 - With my agency, the number stands for the particular station that unit works out of. Tubbs was another big boy – he was our door kicker and his offspring is now an NFL lineman at 6-11 and 345. I can identify a bit with one of the previous comments (SK) – nurses love to eat their young. According to an article on the Air Force website by Second Lieutenant William Powell, the first call signs were probably used by ground controllers to communicate with pilots during World War I. It’s a pleasure to have you join us. I hope everyone finds it interesting. Calls are transmitted by the grade of Call, type of call and the location to attend Reblogs are fine as long as the excerpt ends with a link to the original post. A call sign is how a police officer is identified while they are patrolling the streets in their cars and reporting to crime scenes. Air1/Air2/Air3 – Helicopters 1,2 & 3. Hope to see you there! Really? The United States Army uses fixed station call signs which begin with W, such as WAR, used by U.S. Army Headquarters.Tactical call signs are often assigned to a company sized unit or higher. Ozzie was an Aussie import and crazy like one – impossible to understand when he got drunk or excited. for characterization, too. The blessing of science fiction is that I can make some of it up. SWAT or ERT is a whole different game and needs to be very short and personal due to how fast things can happen and the need to be brief and absolutely clear. Chrys, have you seen our #ACrimeChat on Twitter yet? Science fiction is great, though, because you have some creative freedom and can write about stuff that’s “out there,” but also scientifically possible, even in the crime division. ", receiving , OVER" If received by the other person, this will receive the reply: ", GO AHEAD, OVER", or "unit calling , GO AHEAD, OVER" You may then transmit your message, using your ABC rules. She is an administrator for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and heads their monthly newsletter. Love that last line, Sheila: “She’s competent, smart, and in control and she also murders her husband.” Too funny!!! Good luck with your next project! Most larger departments have a dedicated PR department and I think they’d be very willing to help. This post is a keeper. 1C10 - Americanguy400 1C11 - … to call ) 10-50 auto accident - prop. I just downloaded the app last week. They sure can be tricky. I can also recommend using an app like Scanner Radio by Gordon Edwards. CMT8C Counties Manukau serious crash unit officer. You can also find her on the Kill Zone: https://killzoneblog.com . Billed as the only police helicopter in the "South Bay" and known by the call sign "Air-55" The unit is staffed by approximately 5 sworn officers. A great reference for those of us beginning in crime writing. As always, thank you for your contribution. And their expertise will make your story better. The badge number is their month and year of hire. CLI - Call Line Identification Learn more about Sue and her books at: https://suecoletta.com I try to limit my radio talk so I don’t confuse out-of-state readers who work in law enforcement, but I had no choice but to include them here and there in my latest, CLEAVED. BossHogg was definitely in charge, always scheming! Police Scanner 11 Codes. ... Get the latest press release and news from the Ghana Police Service along with relevant alerts to help keep you and your loved ones safe and informed. Wow, Garry! Mine was 292. ("Lincoln"); ( "X" or "T" units shall use the letter "L" following the regular service letter when applicable. While researching call signs for 30 Seconds Before, I found that they are different from state to state, city to city, department to department. Hi, Bob! She is not sweet and caring. . Generally each carrier has an advanced (police) driver, seven constables and a sergeant. Call +233 302 773 906 or. I’m glad that this is a timely post for you. It’s definitely a fine line between accuracy and where we veer into fictionland. Hi, Craig! The Metropolitan Police operate three aircraft, and are numbered Police 251/252/253 dependent on how many are in the air at any given time. Hi Crys – I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a writer contacting the police jurisdiction they’re portraying and asking them questions like radio procedure or whatever. I’ll be sending them free copies for their help. And there’s nothing like the sense of authenticity you can get if you can add those realistic details. : To join our Newsletter mailing list, just add your e-mail address here, or to unsubscribe or change your e-mail address, just click here. , I’m in a different position than most of Sue’s friends, because I write speculative fiction. They can sometimes be similar but they usually are distinctly different. In Australia, a call sign could be ##-PS-1A. Obviously they’re not going to disclose classified stuff but clarifying day-to-day procedure would be good for their image, too – and don’t forget to give them credits in the book The old story… never be afraid to ask… Right, Sue? Hi Garry! Basically unit call sign has three main parts: first one is the one letter service designator which isn't usually marked on the unit itself since it's usually possible to see the difference between for example a firetruck and a police car. Funny you should mention Scanner Radio. PS in this call sign means “patrol sergeant.” The 1 at the end is a designator in case there are multiple units on duty, and the A represents the shift. It’s always so useful to know what real-life police do in different situations, and how they communicate. (Note from Sue: If you use police call signs, research which ones are used in your area.). So the tactical teams (up here anyway) adopt a fighter-pilot approach where each team member earns a call sign peculiar to them and it sticks with them for good – even at social events Here was my bunch of bandits: Bude, Alfred, Tubbs, Mother, Sonny, Ozzie, Shambo, Taz, Cro-Magnon Man (Cro for short), and BossHogg. We had this week off, so next Wed. we’ll be there. I have THE BEST community, don’t I? I looked at the Cleveland Police Department websites and maps to determine the sectors. policeunit - Ranks and their call signs - This is a Police role play based on the United Kingdom way of running divisions. This page has gotten kind of long; here’s some quick navigation aids: 1. inj. All content on www.suecoletta.com is copyrighted and may not be reproduced or copied without permission. Unit Radio Call Signs - 599/20. 10-0 Caution. Coletta draws on a wide range of original sources to bring her subjects to life.” Publishers Weekly, Active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer of serial killer thrillers (Tirgearr Publishing) and true crime (Globe Pequot, trade division of Rowman & Littlefield Group). TSG units patrol the streets of London in marked police vans or "carriers"; using the call sign prefix "Uniform". Other (External) Links Thanks for sharing the names for the tactical team members you worked with. Are the “bandits” similar to their names? I almost forgot my comment to you Sue. A letter and digit that identify the unit type. Talking to someone in the field in that specific area is a great thing to do, if possible. 10-13 call in resume 10-53 auto accident - fatal 10-14 convoy or escort 10-55 drunk driver 10-15 have prisoner in custody 10-58 wrecker 10-16 transportation unit 10-59 ambulance 10-18 complete assignment a.s.a.p. I may have to use some of this and some 10 codes in the next one I have planned. Cro is 6’5 and about 280 – solid muscle. Disposition Codes, e.g., “7 Charlie” 3. , Hi, SK! I’m intrigued. Please read the Privacy Policy & Cookies page. 10-7 Out of service. While doing my research, I actually read a rant from a cop when a writer asked him a question about call signs. Home About us Publications and documents Accessing information Disclosure log Organisation Information Unit Radio Call Signs - 599/20. They’ll just post right to the blog. Craig recently posted…The Paranormal Bar and Grill – Will O’ the Wisp. 10-6 Change channel. 10-codes are tough, too, because every state is different. However, by the same token, one of the reasons I got out of nursing and started writing was due to the lack of professionalism of the group of nurses I was working with at the time I retired. Up to three characters which uniquely identify the unit. The Unit Number is the on-air designator or call sign. If you’re ever unsure, just check the hashtag. For example the collective \"Checkmate\" might be assigned to an entire company and thus \"Checkmate 1 Actual\" would be the first platoon leader, \"Checkmate 2 Actual\" to the second platoon leader, etc. I know one county in SE Ohio uses the deputy’s badge number as their callsign. People with scanners will set it up so the audio is streamed live over Broadcastify, and the app picks up those feeds and can localize them for you. The TSG is a uniformed unit of the MPS that replaced the similarly constituted Special Patrol Group in 1987. That will come in handy. It does give insight into brothers in blue. I’ll be checking out radioreference.com today to see if they include my area (New Hampshire). Please read full Privacy Policy. As always, I appreciate your work here so much I have a whole file labeled, “Sue’s Stuff”, that I reference all the time. . Park Police units use 3 digit call signs (such as unit 302, unit 411, etc.) This page was last edited on 22 August 2020, at 21:58. . Thank you for this post, Sue! I am truly enjoying the conversation here. I’ve worked with a number of jurisdictions and every one seems to be a little different in radio protocol – even the 10-codes vary to some degree. So true, Margot. Thank you for this post, Sue and Chrys. Yikes! Sue and Chrys – great post! She’s competent, smart, and in control and she also murders her husband. 50 Ways To Murder Your Fictional Characters, Almost the Perfect Murder - Crime Writers' Case Study, Jack Unterweger: Crime Writer Turned Serial Killer, Eyewitness Testimony - Test Your Observation Skills, The Toolbox Killers — A True Halloween Nightmare, 23 Physical Abnormalities of Serial Killers. Our hard-entry tactic was Tubbs would smash the door with a battering ram or his shoulder while Sonny and Mother would flash-bang it. I’m working on expanding a short story into a novel based on a nurse. I am thrilled to be here and to share a post about police call signs with your audience. Unique identifier of the unit: Digit = supervisory/NCO level and above; Letter = others. With over tens of thousands of officers in America, and each one with a different call sign, it’s nearly impossible to create one that’s not already in use. But from agency to agency, the numbers and letters can stand for various things. A great reference for those of us newbies in crime writing. Here’s the list of frequencies and users for the Greater Cleveland Radio Communications Network, which includes Cleveland PD: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=7337. Thank you for your comment and for telling us about the radio identifiers for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. HOMICIDE UNIT. Hope this little insight gives writers a glimpse into making their characters… characters. Excellent info. [LAPD] Callsigns & Unit. Incident Codes (1 Digit/ 1 Letter) Digit indicates the general category, Letter indicates the specific type. I knew if I stuck close to that, it’d be pretty accurate, especially since it was the correct location for my story. Police call signs are not universally the same, every deprtment uses its own designations. Occasionally non standard callsigns are used for special purposes. Thank you both for shedding some light into this fascinating subject! I know some cops who get aggravated when they see them in a book and others who enjoy the authenticity. Abbreviations & Terms. I’m so glad you’re having fun! Any cookies on my website are used to ensure normal website functions (for instance, Youtube videos won’t work without their own identifiers). I didn’t want to alter the call sign too much, fearing I’d get it wrong, but I also didn’t want to use the same call sign Officer Anthony Espada and his partner, Michael Tracy, used. Haven’t had a chance to listen yet, but at least now I know it’ll be as helpful as it looks. That said, I do NOT collect emails from the comment section. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. COMMERCIAL CRIME UNIT - CCU. Most professionals are happy to help. She’s competent, smart, and in control and she also murders her husband. A call sign is how a police officer is identified while they are patrolling the streets in their cars and reporting to crime scenes. With the exception of Counties Manukau and Bay of Plenty police districts, who operate a different system, unit call signs follow this format: In the Counties Manukau and Bay of Plenty police districts, unit call signs are five characters in length and follow this format: For a list of the home station codes, see Category:Police callsigns for a list of each region page with police callsigns. 10-4 Message received, understood. Q3 - What does the Basic Radio Transmission sound like, any example will suffice? One thing for sure, we never mixed up a call sign . For example, it would go: 20Delta4 – Nanaimo City/Detective/Unit#4 (unit being whichever officers were assigned to that car on that shift) West Police call signs call sign-mnemonic Learn with flashcards, games, and more — for free. Thanks for the tip! Unit IDs / Callsigns 5. This is a great post, and timely for me. How did I miss that Twitter chat? This is so helpful! And you do it so well, Craig. They’re definitely a slippery slope, depending on your audience. and Critical Care to Psychiatry and forensics, I am appalled at how unprofessional nurses are portrayed in books. 10-12 call in reports 10-52 auto accident - pers. L: One officer patrol unit. Park Police canine units are identified as 9-King-3x units. As for the phonetic alphabet, there are also diferences here as well; the example given in in a prior answer used the military phonetic alphabet, but many departments use a more common variation such … Much cheaper and easier than buying your own scanner! Course, I have “my crew” who I drilled for answers. I feel like writing a story about SWAT just so I can create some clever, short call signs. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Full call sign for main set channel for Information Room MisPer = Missing Person MIT = Major incident team MP = Metropolitan Police information room (Scotland Yard) MSS = Message Switching System N [edit | edit source] NCPA = No Cause for Police Action NCS = National Crime Squad (aka British FBI) NDIU = National Drugs Intelligence Unit: NDP = Very rarely, Maryland State Police Troopers will be heard on the county radios, these units have been heard identifying themselves as "MSP" or "Trooper Patrol" followed by a number (the same way Sheriff and FM units … Bude’s original handle was “Mongo” (from Blazing Saddles cause he was built like Mongo- not dumb like Mongo) but we went back to the shortened version of his Czechoslovakian surname. D201) - too many to list Comm centre will usually code traffic incidents either 1U or 1V - attending unit will assign the precedent code when the paperwork goes in. The call signs are assigned as follows: Officers = 100's Civil Service = 400's Sergeants = 600's Lt. = 700's Sheriff = 900 Animal Control Call Signs = W (Warden) followed by a badge number. Happy writing!!! I’d love to have you on the blog sometime. Whenever they talk to dispatch, they will state their call sign. You’ll be pleased to know I portrayed her as caring and genuine. The last thing I'd ever do is betray your trust. Members. NEWSLETTERS - update 7th July 2014 - we are delighted to say that we now have our own in-house mailing system for Project HappyChild News. During my research, I uncovered a video on YouTube of a dispatch recording depicting the moment when the police rescued three women from Ariel Castro’s home. Service Codes, e.g., “Code 10” 2. How did I figure out how to create a call sign for my story? We were going to get Cro some cosmetic surgery to reduce his brow because the overhang was affecting his sight.