doing away with radio codes

[FrankCastle1]

Here is a link to a news story about something my department is doing. It is going to be hard to get used to, is all I can say. Just wanted some thoughts and opinions from other officers. Is anyone else doing this?

http://southbendtribune.com/apps/pbc...73284159164609

[JonMcD1980]

We've used plain english as long as I can remember. Plus like the article says, to be elligible for Federal Funding, agencies have to use plain english vs. the 10 codes. I think this came to light after 9/11 due to the whole communication breakdown between responding agencies coming to light through the after action review process. I don't really consider it a bad thing. Anyone with a scanner or people you don't want to know what you are up to, know all or most of the 10 codes anyways.

[ChiTownDet]

Plain English should be used on a radio band that has other agencies on it. I personally don't see using any type of codes a problem on a side band that only your own guys use. Plain English should be used when having any radio conversations with another agency..

[SRT936]

They went to plain language a few years ago, sort of. The comm center uses plain language and all the officers continue to use 10 codes. Personallly, I just find it simpler and more effecient to say "10-56" then "possible intoxicated driver".

[IMachU]

The whole reason for the radio codes were for brevity and accuracy over mostly unreliable radio systens. B sounds like P which sounds like D, and it's easier to say 503 instead of reported stolen vehicle.

Plain English would be best for accuracy, but not for brevity. If your system is like mine, when someone has a mic keyed no one else can talk on the radio. So for a long-winded officer who is speaking plain English, it ties up the air for emergent traffic. That would work for a 400 mHz system, though, where an officer can walk on a current transmission in an emergency.

[Smurfette_76]

We're going to plain english. However, we've got officers that can't say 10-8 for the life of them...they have to string together a series of 10 codes that ends up being a paragraph long. I just can't WAIT to see what happens with the plain english.

[JSD73]

I can say "back in" "information only" "hold me out at...." or "Off Duty (OD)" as simply as ten code. Plain english is the best and it is universal among agencies. I need help is understandable while I have no idea what the hell the ten code for that is.

[ateamer]

My agency has used plain English since the late 70s. All the PDs in the county have been the same way, with the exception of one department that ditched the 9-codes in the mid-90s. We have one remnant of the old 9-codes: 900 - radio silence. Plain English works just fine.

[signal1]

I can understand in large situations where there are several agencies working together. But when it comes to day-to-day activities, I sure would rather dispatch ask me if I am 10-12 then to say "Is he standing beside you because he is a wanted felon"

[JSD73]

That's easy to remedy:

Dispatch:1P51, u secure?

Me: Negative, standby.

Me: Go ahead.

Dispatch: Clear, subject is 99, or W or K, or 45 or whatever the code might be.

The turds are just as privy to ten code as the officers who use them.

[gopherpuckfan]

We only have a couple 10 codes that we use anymore. The vast majority of our transmissions are plain talk.

[Blazin413]

we ditched the 10 codes and the agreement that our larger metropolitan agency was supposed to switch something to be more like us in exchange.

guess what happened....




I wish we still had the 10 codes. I personally don't want to stand in front of a family at the scene of a natural death and say "Can you have the coroner en route" i'd rather say "roll me a 55"

[GCPD0171]

We have been using plain language for about 6 or 7 years. We dropped 10 codes when our communications merged with another agency. The two used different 10 codes so it confussed the dispatchers too much.

[FrankCastle1]

Thanks for all the replies. It just seems weird to me. Especially because all of our surrounding agencies still use codes. You should hear the radio traffic now. What a mess. Everyone starts to use a code, then pauses and has to stop and think what to say. We all have to retrain our brain I guess. This morning a deputy went on duty, and said "I'm ten-forty.....uuuhhhh I'm beginning my tour of duty for today".

[Kpdpipes]

We stopped using them except for a few limited instances (Dead Body, Meal Break, Bank Transports) years ago. Anything that's even a little sensetive, most of the guys call into HQ on their cells to get details, even though we're encrypted now.