Police shift to plain language
12/31/09 | 27 comments

Police shift to plain language


Washington County to drop use of ten codes
By Sharon Kiley Mack
BDN Staff

MACHIAS, Maine — As of Jan. 1, the Washington County Sheriff's Department no longer will use the ten code, a system of talking with numbers that many law enforcement agencies use when conversing with each other and communications centers.

Ten codes, also known as ten signals, were developed in 1937 and expanded in 1974 by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International to allow for brevity and standardization of message traffic. They historically have been used by law enforcement officers in North America, although in 2005, the U.S. federal government recommended they be discontinued in favor of everyday language.

Over time, the meanings of the codes have become different for different agencies. For example, if a Washington County deputy got into an accident with his cruiser today, he would report to the communications center that he was 10-50.

But in Virginia, a 10-50 means an officer needs assistance. In Maryland, it means a traffic accident with injuries. In New York, 10-50 means a disorderly person.

A 10-79 call, depending on where it is made, can mean anything from a bomb threat to a missing bicycle.

Sheriff Donnie Smith said that eventually all law enforcement agencies will revert to plain language.

Bangor Police Chief Ron Gastia said that although no policy has been set involving plain language, his department continues to move away from ten codes. The problem lies with meshing multiple agencies, he said Wednesday.

“The ambulance may use one code, the Sheriff's Department another and the state police a different version,” Gastia said. “It’s gotten to the point that we need to just say what we mean. We haven’t fully switched over but we are doing plain language a lot more than ever before.”

Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross said there are no plans for his agency to drop the ten code. “We all speak the same language [with ten code],” he said. “It’s in place and it works.”

He said that if multijurisdictional agencies came to the county, deputies easily could be directed to use plain language.

Maine State Police has been slowly reverting to plain language for nearly a year, Cliff Wells, director of communications, said.

“It is not policy yet because it is a difficult thing to eliminate. We are so used to the code, but even with numbers, we have to be careful. There can be doubt even with numbers. If there is any question on the part of the operators, they can just ask the question again.”

Mike Smith is director of communications for Somerset County, which is slowly working plain language into its system.

“I find dispatch using common language more and more as we slowly work toward 100 percent plain language,” he said. “It is difficult because everyone is so accustomed to using [the ten code].

Washington County Sheriff Smith said the old ten code system was developed more than 75 years ago and was an attempt to make things simpler by using a series of numbers to indicate what the officer's business was. It was also an attempt to be a bit secretive.

“It fools no one,” Smith said. “Everyone that listens to their scanner knows the code.”

In April 1999, when a school massacre took place at Columbine High School in Colorado, responding police agencies discovered they couldn’t communicate with each other, Smith said. Not only were they using different radio frequencies, but they were using different ten codes.

When Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, the dozens of responding agencies were told to revert to plain language to avoid misunderstanding emergency calls.

“Here in Washington County, if we had any type of international incident, it would be mass confusion,” he said.

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York in 2001, Smith said there has been a national process to bring all agencies into compliance with the Department of Homeland Security and National Incident Management System. This means no more 10-48 (an unattended death), or 10-57 (ambulance), or 10-33 (police chase).

“In each case, the deputies will clearly state what the incident, call or activity is,” Smith said. “Instead of saying ‘I’m 10-8,’ they will say they are in service.”

“It's going to be a hard transition,” Smith acknowledged. “It will take some time getting used to.”

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Comments
27 comments on this item
On 12/30/09 at 9:16 PM, tju12008 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Numbers are confussing unless they are counting donuts ! LMAO

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On 12/30/09 at 9:40 PM, eastporter wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

sheriff smith says it is going to be a hard transition. donnie, you have some excellent officers and also many excellent dispatchers that will make it easier than you think. there are none better than dennis perry , phil roberts, and a few others. washington county is very lucky to have these dedicated people at the rcc. also, dennis perry and the other dispatcher are to be commended on the excellent outcome of a tense situation in baileyville a week or two ago. great job.

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On 12/30/09 at 11:02 PM, sebec39 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Ten-four, this is 535, ten-ten home.

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On 12/31/09 at 4:21 AM, scottcom36 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Who's gonna tell Broderick Crawford?

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On 12/31/09 at 5:02 AM, JeffDubay wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I suspect that in 1937 radio speakers produced then were much less audible than what is available to work with today.

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On 12/31/09 at 6:38 AM, wonderingwhy wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

why not try pig latin igpay atinlay

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On 12/31/09 at 9:14 AM, ronfromdowneast wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

“It's going to be a hard transition,” Smith acknowledged. “It will take some time getting used to.”

That's vintage Donnie. Is it really going to fry their brain cells to say "investigating a suspected burglary"?

Maybe Mr. Smith should ask the County for some money to train his minions in how to speak English.

A "hard transition"?

Hardly.

Get over yourself Donnie. Why is it always about you?

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On 12/31/09 at 9:27 AM, tomthompson_1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Would the "word police" who are hiding others comments by repeatedly thumbing down cease and desist? Good gravy, people can just click and read the darned thing anyways so why be such a buffoon? Everything you thumbed down didn't even deserve it. Knock it off!!~

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On 12/31/09 at 9:29 AM, Coolfusion wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

All people are equal .. but some people are more equal than others.

http://volokh.com/2009/12/28/tsa-security-directive-sd-1544-09-06/

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On 12/31/09 at 9:37 AM, guerraelson wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Donnie, I have worked with most of your dispatchers and deputies. And they are better than you give them credit for. This transaction will be much easier because of the professionalism that your people already have in place.

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On 12/31/09 at 9:45 AM, Rogue_Wave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Im going to be 10-7 in Jonesboro all night and into the morning!

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On 12/31/09 at 10:10 AM, Betterdays wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I just read all of the comments here... I'm wondering if anyone else can pick out the commenter who recently had a negative experience with Police. I guess you can say the cream doesn't isn't the only thing that rises to the top... haha... Happy New Year... Or in cop terms 10-2010!!!

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On 12/31/09 at 10:21 AM, PropMgr wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The police scanners are dead anyway ! the police mostly use cell phones watch as they drive by they always have a cell to there ear. or reading a report or even better writing there report as they drive;

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On 12/31/09 at 11:28 AM, elmster wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

prop you are not wrong they use thier cells a lot but all the dispatchers still use radio so scanners still have a great purpose, i listen to mine all the time and get great amounts of info on what is going on in my little area. but for the most part they use plain speak not 10 codes any more

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On 12/31/09 at 2:36 PM, havvey wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I thought that all police traffic was going to lap tops to keep people with scanners out of the loop of party/drug raids etc??? Now everyone is going to know what is happening and there won't be anyone left at the party/ drug deal once the cops get there. And you call this public protection??

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On 12/31/09 at 3:54 PM, pcme2000 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

irishproud that is so funny and true

havvey get a grip people already know what is going on.

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On 12/31/09 at 6:29 PM, Stevey_Dee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

10-100?????

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On 12/31/09 at 7:25 PM, Larryt39 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Unfortunately for us scanner buff's, things have really changed for the worst. Computer's have taken over most of the critical calls, unless the dispatcher needs to hurry it up. What is overlooked here I believe, is that the public has been, and always will be, a huge asset in supporting the police departments. That is one particular part of so much secrecy in police communications today. It could prove detrimental along the way, to how police are able to conduct their profession. Frankly, there is only so much activity in the police circles that can be kept truly secret, and then all hell can/will break.

Larry T. Doughty, South Brewer. larrytdoughty@yahoo.com, www.ourstory.com/larrytdoughty/

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On 12/31/09 at 7:32 PM, LawDisOrder wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

codes can be confusing but they can also save lives. Would you want to be standing next to someone when the dispatcher ssys, there may be a warrant? she may be armed, may be a mental subject, known to have drugs on person. In mutli agency events, yes plain english works when you have feds, out of state agencies coming, I am sure that happens once or twice a month in Washing County, or hmmmm, could it be there was an out of state story about it and it is a good way for Washington County to get in the news? Cell phones and computers are used more and more and for a good reason, people like to tip their friends off. By the way, Happy New Year all.

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On 12/31/09 at 9:00 PM, Larryt39 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Changing to plain English is a component of Homeland Security. This is one of the smarter moves by HS It is a good measure, and having computer's in the police cruisers may also have benefits. However, if the reason for such computers is to stifle those that are out to do harm to Americans, via listening to the public airways, then they are all wet. Those that are out to destroy this country, will always have a means to obtain those same computers, and whatever they need/want to achieve their terrorist activities. Homeland Security has spent BILLIONS of dollars on fire trucks, and all kinds of other public safety devices. Meanwhile, the general scanner listeners, which is thousands right here in Maine, are only interested in what is going on in their police and fire arena's. I think that we will always hear dispatchers dispatch their messages over the air, especially when the message is urgent, or have to get it out very quickly. Check the recent security measures, of the bomb in the plane, that Homeland Security Director Napolitano, said on Sunday worked very well, then had to backtrack the next day, admitting just how screwed up this government is. She needs to find another job. She may well have been a fair governor of Arizona, but she does not belong in the present high position of protecting this country. Time to get off my soapbox here. Larry T. Doughty, South Brewer- larrytdoughty@yahoo.com, www.ourstory.com/larrytdoughty/

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On 1/1/10 at 3:54 PM, CeeBlue wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

This is a joke --Right ?

'tough transition'----what is their first language ?

If this article doesn't make the comedy shows---'tough transition' ?!!?

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On 1/1/10 at 7:53 PM, cbpo2858 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

when something has been done the same way for your whole career it was take a lttle time to get used to a new way. wow a donut joke how orignal moron.

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On 1/3/10 at 9:05 PM, washcnty wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I doubt it will be too "tough" of a transition for most Deputies. Habits will be hard to break, but it is not a difficult concept as a whole. Unfortunately for Sheriff Smith, his policy only applies to his department. The R.C.C. has no such policy in effect, and still utilizes ten codes as they have for years with ALL of the agencies that they dispatch for. Perhaps the Sheriff should have gone to all the departments a while ago to see if everyone would participate, rather than trying to be the first.

The R.C.C. works with several law enforcement agencies, and dispatches for at least 4 other police departments besides the Sheriff's Department. Along with over 20 fire departments and at least 8 different ambulance bases. The Sheriff Department's change to plain language won't really be that significant, since most people have known for years, when you deal with agencies that may not know your "ten codes", you use plain language.

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On 1/5/10 at 4:28 AM, copswife wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

So if what washcnty says is true you have the Sheriff's Department that is changing over to plain language but their dispatch isn't, that doesn't make much sense to me, so only half the conversation will be "plain language". If it is supposedly federally mandated then I would think everyone would have to change but Penobscot County apparently doesn't think they have to either. I do kind of get the impression from the article and quotes that the Sheriff Department is playing this up quite a bit, tough transition and mass confusion seems a bit of an exaggeration. The whole plain language thing seems like a good idea for the most part but if everyone doesn't change then why bother.

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On 1/7/10 at 1:01 PM, spasmoweeder wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I love it when cops are on television and they bust out their "smart" words~ "well I apprehended the individual, engaged in an investigation, concluding with the mastication of some globular shaped pastries" 10-4 good buddy!

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On 1/8/10 at 11:07 PM, justcuz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

copswife, you are right. Dispatch is not using plain language. I realize this may be a slow transition, but shouldn't dispatch be using it the most, at this point?

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On 2/2/10 at 11:35 AM, jbdgolf_3 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Now that they have learned how to talk properly on the radio, maybe they can learn how to do their jobs?

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