#ChicagoScanner Phrases/Jargon
Parker - A parking violation
Zebra - a person with a mental health disorder (derived from the code “Z” that indicates mental health related)
PCI - Positive Community Interaction
Merit - an officer promoted NOT on their test scores but nominated by an exempt CPD memeber
19-Paul - a common code used by officers to close out a call and give a disposition. (Coded as Other Miscellaneous Incident - Other Police Service)
UCR - Codes used to classify crimes set by the FBI (for the Uniform Crime Report)
041-Adam - UCR code used for a person shot with a handgun
0110 - UCR code used for a homicide - first degree murder
HBT - Hostage Barricade Terrorist, used for SWAT incidents
RD - report number
Event Number - EVERY incident whether it be a 911 call or officer initiated activity is assigned an event number
Box - when officers are assigned a call or are given an event it’s thrown in the “box” (on their computer)
PDT - portable data terminal (police computer)
Squad - Dispatch
Sergeant - the lowest ranking supervisory rank, the immediate supervisor to officers
Watch commander - the commanding officer for each shift
X-Ray - usually assigned to beats staying over their shift end time (X1621 - Xray-1621)
CIT - crisis intervention trained, officers trained in crisis intervention
Streets & San - known as public works in other cities
Allied (AKA Body Snatchers) - the company used for body removal
ET - evidence technicians (they collect fingerprints, photograph crime scenes, collect DNA, etc)
Dics - detectives
Loud reports - gun shots heard by officers
10-1 - a police emergency
Positive ID - a positive identification of an offender by a victim or a witness on a show up
Show up - when an offender is brought to a victim or offender to be identified (usually has to happen within the hour of a crime occurring)
CST - community safety team (who knows how long that will last)
Open key - when someone is holding down the key on a radio and others can’t talk over it
ISP - Illinois State Police
District - the area some officers are assigned to patrol, each area is broken up into 23 districts
Carbecue - a car fire
CPIC -Crime Prevention and Information Center, basically CPD’s intelligence center
News Affairs - CPD’s news/media point of contact
PH1/PH2 - Police helicopters
ShotSpotter - the system used by CPD that remotely pinpoints, detects and geolocates gunshots
Job - a call or event to be handled by police
A 501 - a DUI
Bonafide - something that appears confirmed by police on scene (a bonafide shooting is one that appears to have happened, etc)
ANOV - Administrative notice of ordinance violation (basically a ticket for violating an ordinance, an ordinance citation)
ARS/Alternate Response - 311, non-emergency
Slumper - a person slumped over the wheel of a car (whether it be alcohol, medically related, etc)
Sidewalk inspector - a person down/passed out on the sidewalk
Frequent flyer - typically used in missing person cases, someone who is frequently reported missing
A naughty to the Audy - a juvenile being taken to the AUDY home (juvenile detention center)
Missing tender age - a child under the age of ten (10) whose whereabouts are unknown by a person having the responsibility for his or her welfare.
In the tubes - Into the subway
THE Area - All CPD districts are part of an “Area” (Area 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Depending on the districts when officers go to THE Area they’re going to their assigned Area, which is also where detectives are assigned to as well as some specialized units. The 16th and 17th districts are part of Area 5 (Grand/Central). Area 3 is at Western/Belmont.
”Popping one” (or two, or three, or four, or five, etc.): computer is showing the person has a warrant (or two, or three, or four, or five, etc)
He/she failed to register: when someone who’s name was checked shows they failed to register for either sex offender registry, murder registry OR Chicago’s gun offender registry.
“Short form” notification: when a person is (typically) served an order of protection (AKA a restraining order) by a sergeant at that moment in “short”
Cindy Bischof violation: a violation of order of protection activated by a GPS device that triggers a police response named after the Cindy Bischof law in Illinois.
RAP - Radio Assignments Pending (AKA a backlog, see next definition)
Backlog - a backlog of calls pending (typically when there are more calls than officers available to take calls)
A lunch ticket (behind a call) - pending lunch taken by an officer after they conclude a call
R service - CPD’s/City of Chicago’s service to fix minor issues on cars (burnt lightbulbs, dead batteries, etc)
Hand waver - a person who flags an officer down for something
Hot (car) - a stolen car
Ambo - CFD paramedics/ambulance
(Where) he/she hangs his hat - where he/she lives
Thanks to @CWBChicago for their help
To close out a call officers use “codes” to close them out UNLESS a report has been generated (at which point an RD with a UCR would be assigned):
