Glossary

A LITTLE LESSON IN POLICE-ESE The Language of Law Enforcement By: Linda Tiner Table of Contents A A&I ACC AFIS AKA AMBER ALERT A/P ARC VIEW ASSIST OFFICER ATTABOY B BATON BCOM BOLO BMV C CAPERS CBA CBEA CHIOR PRACTICE CI CIRG CLEARANCE RATE CLICK IT OR TICKET CNU COMPLAINANT COPS CRIB CSI D DE DRT DETAIL DHA DL DOT DPS DUI DWI E EMERGENCY TRANSFER ETS F FENDER LIZZARD Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 2 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 FI FLEX CUFFS FLID FSRA FTO G GIS GOOD (such as, “it’s a good murder”) H HENKIE HOLDING CELL HOME OF THE HOLIDAYS HOUSE MOUSE I IACA IAD IBCs K KEEPER L LANGUAGE LINE LEAPS LETS LOW SICK L.T. of LOU LWOP LYMTD M MARK MARK-OUT MDT ME MIP MIR M/P MVA MYBABYDADDY N NAL NARC NCIC NYSTAGMUS CERTIFIED O OCA# Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 Page 3 ODO OFFICER DOWN ON-THE-JOB P PASSED PCD PERP PES PI PIO PIRS PMIS PRIORS PSO R R/O R/P RAMS RIGHTEOUS RIOT GEAR ROLLING STOLEN S SAM BROWNE SERVICE WEAPON SFST SIX-PACK SMOOTH CAR SOP STARR SUSPENDED SWAT T TCIC TCLEOSE TDC TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE TWILE TxDOT U UCR UCW UFAP UUMV V VICAP VIP Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 16 16 16 16 16 16 Page 4 W WHIP-OUT WIT Y YAC YTD 16 16 16 16 16 16 Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 5 Glossary A A&I Accident and Investigation traffic officer ACC Auto Accessory Theft – anything taken off a vehicle such as wheel covers, tires, rims or emblems. This offense also covers theft of gasoline from a vehicle. AFIS Automated Fingerprint Identification System – Used by investigators to identify suspects and by patrol offers to establish true identity of arrested persons. AKA Also known as – Refers to other names or aliases a person has used. This will include maiden names and past married names for women. AMBER ALERT A state wide Texas program that is quickly becoming national, which aids a police agency in getting information out quickly about missing or abducted children to a wide array of agencies as well as the public. The program is named for Amber Haggerman, who was abducted and killed in the Dallas area. She was nine years old at the time of her death. A/P Arrested Person ARC VIEW GIS Software used by law enforcement to map criminal offences. ASSIST OFFICER A radio call from an officer in the field that signals a need for immediate help, it is rarely used and only in dire emergency. When an assist officer is broadcast on a police band every officer hearing it who is not assigned to an emergency call drops everything and respo0nds to the assist locatio0n. It is used only when officers are in mortal danger. ATTABOY Acknowledgement of a job well done, this can come in a verbal “good job”, a pat on the back or a departmental commendation. B BATON A night stick or billy club, the retractable baton is worn on the Sam Browne equipment belt and used to ensure compliance by officer detainees. Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 6 BCOM Breaking and entering coin operated machine – I tend to seem ore of these in the summer months. Soda and Candy vending machines as well as commercial washers and dryers are frequent targets. Sometimes we will see BCOMS of cigarette machines or game machines during business burglaries. Rarely, we will see newspaper vending machines broken into. BOLO Be on the look out – usually part of a bulletin distributed to law enforcement only. Sometimes sent to patrol officers on squad computers, rarely broadcast over radio. BMV Burglary of motor vehicle is the number one offense along with ACC that I see in my division. Over half of these offenses occur in apartment parking lots during the night, simply because this is where large numbers of vehicles are stored overnight without the benefit of a garage. C CAPERS Crimes against person division is home to all the violent crimes units, such as, homicide, robbery, sexual assaults and family violence. CBA Cleared by arrest is a clearance term that indicates that an offense was solved and cleared by the arrest of a suspect or the issuance of a citation. CBEA Cleared by exceptional arrest is a clearance term that indicates that an offense was dropped at the request of the complainant. This could be because the suspect offers to make restitution or more often because the suspect is known to the complainant. CHIOR PRACTICE An unofficial off-duty gathering of officers to socialize, vent their gripes and usually drink. CI Confidential Informant – Street smart person used by poice to gather information. CIRG Critical Incident Response Group – is the name given to a group of people chosen for their skills or rank in the department who are called out in case of a major incident or large scale emergency. CLEARANCE RATE Clearance rate refers to the percentage of a given detective’s or investigative unit’s cases that have been cleared or solved versus the number that remain open or are suspended. CLICK IT OR TICKET Click it or ticket is the name given to a state-wide, multi-agency, Texas initiative to enforce compliance of Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 7 the state’s seat-belt laws. CNU Could Not Understand – CNU is used in the narrative section of police calls for service to conserve space. It can mean that the caller does not speak English, is a small child, is crying or in distress to the point of not being able to speak clearly. COMPLAINANT The person listed on a police report as the victim of an offense, even if it is not the person making the report. The complainant can also be a business. When a minor is reported as a runaway, the minor is listed as the complaint. COPS Citizens in Patrol – is the name given to a citizen volunteer group that self patrils their own neighborhoods. Members of these groups attend special citizen police academy classes that teach nonconfontational patrol techniques. CRIB Not a baby bed, Street term for the place one sleeps. Could mean anything from a house, or apartment, to a cardboard box on the street. CSI Crime Scene Investigation – is a unit of trained personnel who collect5, preserve and process physical evidence. Dallas calls it’s evidence unit, PES (Physical Evidence Section). D DE Directory Entry is a bank of telephone operators that take dictated offense reports from patrol officers and type them directly into the computer system. DRT Dead Right There DETAIL A detail is a meeting of eat office4rs and sector sergeants before the beginning of each watch for the purpose of taking roll, briefing officers on crime trends or other perti8nent information and assigning duties or areas of responsibility. DHA Dallas Housing Authority – Low income public housing. DL Drivers License Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 8 DOT Department of Transportation DPS The Texas Department of Public Safety – is the agency responsible for issuance of driver’s licenses. DUI Driving Under the Influence DWI Driving While Intoxicated E EMERGENCY TRANSFER The signal used to indicate the transportation of blood (usually a rate type) or organs. An officer would be asked to respond to a hospital, an airport, or a city limits to receive and rush the blood or organ to another location, be it another airport, hospital or city limits. ETS Electronic Tracking Systems – Systems such as Lo-jack operate off GIS software and equipment. F FENDER LIZZARD Refers to a promiscuous person who pursues police officers for purposes of personal gratification. The uniform, not the individual, is the attraction. FI A Field Interview – is a documented interview with anyone an officer considers a suspect or suspicious person but whom the officer does not have evidence or probable cause enough to arrest. FLEX CUFFS Flex cuffs plastic hand or leg restraints used when regular hand cuffs are not available or not sufficient to control a prisoner. FLID Failure to leave identification at the scene of a motor vehicle accident. FSRA Failure to stop and render aid at the scene of a motor vehicle accident. FTO Field Training Officer – the first partner of a new rookie officer just out of the academy. An FTO is an experienced Senior Corporal that teaches practical application of class room training\ as applies to working on the street. Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 9 G GIS Geographical Information Systems – refers to software and equipment that can pin-point the location of a person or property using global longitude and latitude. GOOD (such as, “it’s a good murder”) Good used as an adjective to describe an offense means that there is no question that all the elements of the offense are present, in a good murder, there would be no question of suicide or death by natural causes, there would probably be a workable crime scene and visible trauma to the victim. It does not mean the victim deserved to be killed. H HENKIE When something is henkie, it is not quite right, doesn’t feel right or leaves too many unanswered questions. HOLDING CELL A small room furnished only with a bench bolted to the floor, usually with a small window and a sturdy lock. It is used to hold a prisoner waiting to be interviewed by an detective or to be transferred to a larger facility. HOME OF THE HOLIDAYS Home for the Holidays – is an enforcement imitative conducted during the winter ho9liday season aimed at keep8i8ng drunk drivers off the streets. HOUSE MOUSE When a patrol officer checks in with his dispatcher and reports that he is homes mouse for the shift it means he has been assigned to the desk inside the station. Most officers hate this assignment. Luckily, it is not often necessary to take an officer off the street to work inside. I IACA The International Association of Crime Analyst – is a world-wide network of crime analyst who have joined together to share information and educations in regards to their chosen field. I get several e-mails a week from other analyst. IAD Internal Affairs Division – is responsible for investigating allegations of wrong doing by other police officers. IBCs Issuance of Bad Checks – is the charge we often see when a warrant come3s back when a driver’s license is run through TCIC/NCIC as the result of a traffic stop. Officers also refer to this activity as “writing bad paper”. Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 10 K KEEPER When young offenders are arrested they come in two varieties, juves and keepers. Youth under the age of majority, which is seventeen in Texas, are processed through the juvenile system and usually are released to their parents. Keepers are those individuals over the age of majority and may be processed through the adult system. L LANGUAGE LINE A twenty-four hour telephone numbe3r that can be used by police communications personnel to communicate with non-English speaking persons. LEAPS Law Enforcement and Private Security – An organization comprised of law enforcement agencies and private security to disseminate information to the mutual benefit of both LETS Law Enforcement Teaching Students – is a community based program that allows police officers to conduct classes in the public schools. LOW SICK Low sick is street slang that means near death. L.T. of LOU L.T. or LOU refers to a lieutenant of police. LWOP L-wop – is slang for the prison term of “life without parole”. LYMTD LYMTD – is the abbreviation used in reporting comparison statistics, it means “last year month to date”. M MARK The intended victim of a swindle. MARK-OUT When a patrol officer makes a stop he must mark-out with his dispatcher. The most common mark-out is for a traffic stop, others include marking out to the situation or marking out for diner breaks. Mark-outs are designed to promote officer safety. Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 11 MDT A mobile digital terminal – is a computer, similar to a laptop, mounted in a squad car and linked to the city’s main computer. ME M.E. is the abbreviation for the medical examiner, usually the county coroner. MIP Minor in Possession – is the abbreviation used on a field interview or citation that denotes a juvenile, or minor, in possession of an alcoholic beverage. MIR Miscellaneous Incident Report – used when a record is required by the police or a citizen, but an offense report is not indicated. M/P Missing Person MVA Motor Vehicle Accident – a major MVA is one in which a person is injured. MYBABYDADDY Said as one rapid word, refers to the father of a single woman’s child, usually when the man is suspected in a family violence offense. Officers are not allowed to use this insensitive3 term but must understand its meaning. N NAL Not at Location – usually 9on an emergency call sheet to indicate that the suspect of victim are no longer at the offense location. NARC On the street known as a narcotics officer. Law enforcement known as tattle-tale. NCIC National Crime Information Computer NYSTAGMUS CERTIFIED An officer trained to administer a nystagmus test for sobriety, one of these standardized field sobriety tests. Often a patrol officer will ask for a nystagmus certified officer at the scene of an accident if there is a question of a driver’s impairment due to drugs of alcohol. Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 12 O OCA# Originating Case Agency Number – the number assigned by an agency by which that agency identifies it’s calls and offenses. ODO Off Duty Officer – pronounced oh-dee-oh. OFFICER DOWN Signals that an officer is injured. As with an assist officer, nearby officers not assigned to an emergency call respond ASAP. ON-THE-JOB How an unknown officers identifies himself to another officer. P PASSED Street slang for deceased. PCD Police Civilian Dispatchers – a civil service grade for non-sworn police dispatchers. PERP Perpetrator – the bad guy. PES Physical Evidence Section – interchangeable with CSI. A group of officers and civilians trained in the proper collection of evidence and processing of crime scenes. PI Public Intoxication – a charge that can land a person in the drunk tank overnight. PIO Public Information Office – is responsible for media relations. They make public information available to the media and citizens. PIRS Police Intelligence Research Specialist – a civil service grade that provides crime analysts to substations and to the planning and research division. PMIS Police Management Information System – computer software that manages police databases for use of authorized users. Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 13 PRIORS A history of previous arrests or charges. PSO Public Service Officer – a civil service grade that provides unarmed uniformed civilians to perform administrative duties at the station level. PSOs do things like pass out equipment to patrol officers, do mail runs, keep supplies such as flares stocked and ready for officers and a variety of other duties. R R/O Reporting Officer – the officer who wrote an offense report, MIR, or field interview. R/P Reporting Person – the person who gave information for an offense report, MIR, or field interview other than a complainant or arrested person. RAMS Records Analysis and Management System – Computer software for managing databases of crime and related information. RIGHTEOUS Used to describe the actions of an officer usually in regards to use of deadly force. Means action taken were appropriate and justified. RIOT GEAR Protective shields, helmets and other equipment used to ensure officer safety in a riot situation. ROLLING STOLEN Refers to an occupied stolen vehicle being driven in sight of an officer. S SAM BROWNE A specialized equipment belt worn by officers that holds not only their gun, but also a radio, cuffs, mace, a baton and additional ammunition. A fully loaded Sam Browne weights approximately 16 pounds. SERVICE WEAPON The agency issued gun that an officer carries while on duty. SFST Standardized Field Sobriety Test – a battery of three tests consisting of walk and turn, one leg stand, and nystagmus (rapid eye movement). SIX-PACK A six photo display shown to victims and witnesses in lieu of a live suspect line-up for purposes of Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 14 identifyi8ng suspects. SMOOTH CAR A police vehicle that has no overhead lightbar or emergency equipment that is visible. SOP Standard Operating Procedure – a book that addresses department procedures. STARR System Total Automated Report Retrieval – a computer program that archives offenses. SUSPENDED An offense with no workable leads is suspended until leads are developed. SWAT Special Weapons and Tactical – team of specially trained officers equipped to handle dangerous situations such as barricaded persons. T TCIC Texas Crime Information Computer TCLEOSE Texas Commission of Law Enforcement Office of Standards and Education – a state agency that provides standardized training and education for all Texas peace officers. TDC Texas Department of Corrections – the state agency responsible for the Texas prison system. TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE Any device used to direct the orderly flow of traffic such as traffic lights, stop signs and railway crossing signals. TWILE Texas Women in Law Enforcement – an association of female police officers that offers support, training and fellowship to its members. TxDOT Texas Department of Transportation U UCR Uniform Crime Reporting – a five digit number assigned to offenses for the sake of standardized reporting Confidential Linda Tiner, 2004 Page 15 of crime by local agencies to the FBI. UCW Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon UFAP Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution – a federal charge against a suspect that crosses state lines to avoid prosecution. UUMV Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle – term used for a stolen car. V VICAP Violent Criminal Apprehension Program VIP Volunteers in Patrol – a citizen volunteer program for non-confrontational self-patrol of one’s neighborhood. W WHIP-OUT A small (usually top-folding) notebook carried in the uniform breast pocket and whipped-out for taking notes. Columbo uses one in the television series. WIT Witness to an offense or suspicious activity. Y YAC Youth Action Center – deals with in school officers and truancy enforcement. YTD Year to Date – usually refers to statistical information. 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