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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2007 > February > 05 > Entry
Police-eese: Language of the police people
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The AJC recently did an article about how police officers talk another language and how we seem to use long and almost unnecessary words that could be more easily summed up in shorter and more understandable words, like bad guys and good guys. Well they’re probably right.
Most of it comes from report writing so that we give a minimal amount of information to the other side on the initial reports. My reports were so strict that I eventually stopped writing them. I found that many cases can be lost this way.
Over time, we’ve fallen into the habit of using this “official” police language in the presence of others, namely media and anyone else we don’t know well.
We realize that it’s borderline silliness. You would think we were getting paid by the syllable. I’ve tried to reduce the amount of PGL* that I use. I’ve seen myself on television using those words. It just isn’t me. There is an expectation that we use some PGL but I try to keep it to a minimum.
TERMS AND OTHER BITS
Subject: Someone who may be a future suspect but not right now. Suspect: We have a good idea you’re not on the up and up. Perpetrator (Perp): Bad guy Former Perpetrator: Now known as “usual suspect” CI (Confidential Informant): (See former perp or perp) Victim: Someone we think innocently got the wrong end of the deal. Victims who report crimes but whom we believe may be involved in something are eventually subjects. Victims can be reclassified as subjects, suspects, and perps. Rarely is it the other way around.
THE ACTION OF A CRIME
Perpetrators produce or brandish or produce weapons but rarely do they pull weapons.
Victims, however, can pull a weapon. If they produced a weapon, they either caught the victim by surprise or know magic.
If the weapon is new or very shiny then it is brandished. Perps never brandish old or dull weapons. If a perp attempts to brandish an old weapon, we charge him with Improper Brandishing. A perp could use his fists as a weapon but we never say “The perpetrator brandished his fists.”
Other than the production of weapons, the only other accepted production of an item is the bank note. Bank robbers produce bank notes. Bank notes are usually produced on blank pieces of paper or sometimes the suspect’s deposit slip. (See Inmate.)
TRANSPORTATION
Suspects use vehicles. They elude. When they’re unsuccessful, they attempted to elude. We give them credit for the attempt. However, unless they complete the action, it goes down as an attempt only. A successful eluding of a police car is known as “managed to elude,” making it sound like it was difficult. We hate to lose.
The suspect vehicle is known as the SV. If the SV is an SUV, it’s a SVSUV or Suvsuv. Saying “Direction of Travel” sounds better than pointing and saying, “They probably went that way.” We use Direction of Travel because the Department of Transportation would get mad if we used the acronym D.O.T. in the same sentence as perp.
We often refer to the car as a “late model sedan.” This means we have no idea what kind of car it was.
THE ARREST
We like to “facilitate an arrest.” We provide the circumstance and we call this the facility and then we facilitate the arrest. We could say, “We arrested the guy,” but “facilitate” brings into play an upscale motif. “Apprehend” is better received than “caught.” You catch fish. You don’t apprehend them.
THE END OF THE ROAD
And finally, public information officers and others will be called upon to refer to one’s death and announce that someone has died. It is probably here that we should shoot straight because in death like nowhere else, it is what it is. There is no way to make it something that it is not. Even in description, it is painfully obvious when someone has died. To dress it up in terms that describes it other than what it really is, is like putting perfume on a pig. You ain’t fooling anybody. This person who was living has died. He or she didn’t expire as if they had an option to but failed to renew themselves like a subscription.
There are so many ways not to describe dying. Among them are:
Discontinued; not currently among us; breathing-challenged; sleeps with the fishes; ceases to live (I actually heard that one), or my favorite —“not currently showing any vital signs,” as if they occasionally may, at some point, decide to start showing them again.
10-4
*Police Goober Language
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Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Bill
February 6, 2007 3:36 PM | Link to this
I’ve always thought “metaphysically challenged” might work for dead, at least amongst the polictcally correct folks of society. A hospital will probably note the file “RHC” as in respiration has ceased.
By WayneBuckwheat
February 6, 2007 5:00 PM | Link to this
Cops who know LONG words? Really? Cops are walking morons, who are merely in the profession for the power trip. Cops, time & time again have proven the adage, cops rise to their level of mediocrity. For me, a good cop is a dead cop.
By Tony
February 6, 2007 7:42 PM | Link to this
“A good cop is a dead cop”. You’re a moron. People like you is what’s wrong with our society. You’re probably some pencil neck pocket protector wearing wimp. I bet you’re the type of “man” who calls 911 when he hears a noise at night or makes his wife go check because he’s too busy crawling under the bed. If it wasn’t for police officers, people like you wouldn’t stand a chance against the predators. Why don’t you go back to whatever hole you crawled out of and stay there.
By Jack Webb
February 6, 2007 7:54 PM | Link to this
For years people have told me, “You look like a cop.” But they never can answer when I ask them what makes me look like a cop. What does a cop look like? I’m not one.
By Missandie
February 6, 2007 10:06 PM | Link to this
Is it possible for AJC to track WayneBuckwheat’s IP address to locate him and thump him on his noggin for being so stupid?
By Avid reader
February 7, 2007 7:59 AM | Link to this
I love the one that Boortz uses to signify a dead perp: ‘DRD’: DEAD RIGHT DERE!
By Keith Lynch
February 7, 2007 5:05 PM | Link to this
Mr. Rose Please allow me to respond to the many people like Hunter, and ShutTheFup. There are many people who think that law enforcement officials are beyond fault, until they have a bad experience.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I wish to introduce to a passage written by one of the most notable authors in America. His books were so instrumental in my fight for justice. Mr. John Grisom, attorney, and best selling author stated in his newly released nonfiction book titled, "The Innocent Man." "Wrongful conviction occur every month in every state in this country, and the reason are all varied and all the same, bad police work, junk science, faulty eyewitness identification, bad defense lawyers, lazy prosecutors, arrogant prosecutors." The citizens and jurors trust their authorities to behave properly, when they don’t the result are taxpayers cover the cost of lawsuits, and innocent people suffer! People, I never stated I was a law-abided citizen, but what did my wife and children do. If I don't push to get justice for them than who will? Please someone answer this question!By Keith Lynch
February 7, 2007 5:06 PM | Link to this
Mr. Rose Please allow me to respond to the many people like Hunter, and ShutTheFup. There are many people who think that law enforcement officials are beyond fault, until they have a bad experience.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I wish to introduce to a passage written by one of the most notable authors in America. His books were so instrumental in my fight for justice. Mr. John Grisom, attorney, and best selling author stated in his newly released nonfiction book titled, "The Innocent Man." "Wrongful conviction occur every month in every state in this country, and the reason are all varied and all the same, bad police work, junk science, faulty eyewitness identification, bad defense lawyers, lazy prosecutors, arrogant prosecutors." The citizens and jurors trust their authorities to behave properly, when they don’t the result are taxpayers cover the cost of lawsuits, and innocent people suffer! People, I never stated I was a law-abided citizen, but what did my wife and children do. If I don't push to get justice for them than who will? Please someone answer this question!By Keith Lynch
February 7, 2007 5:11 PM | Link to this
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I wish to introduce a passage from one of the most notable authors who was so instrumental in my fight for justice. Attorney, Author, Mr. John Grisom. Mr. Grisom stated in his best-seller, titled, "The Innocent Man." Wrongful conviction occur every month in every state in this country, and the reason are all varied and all the same, bad police work, junk science, faulty eyewitness identification, bad defense lawyers, lazy prosecutors, arrogant prosecutors." The citizens and jurors, trust their authorities to behave properly, when they don't the result is tax payers cover the cost of law suits, and innocent people suffer!By Joe Friday
February 8, 2007 6:26 AM | Link to this
One of the best I heard on TV was from a local fire departnment PIO who said “They were unable to do (filli in the blank) because of a lack of illumination” In other words it was DARK. How hard can that be to say? I even turn my lights on because of such every evening.
By Lt. Steve
February 8, 2007 9:15 PM | Link to this
Lack of illumination. Perfect. We had a major, when i was with Fulton PD, who wrote two officers for a great job they did on an arrest. She titled it “Accomodation” instead of “Commendation”……and she was a major…
By LOCAL POPO
February 10, 2007 10:09 AM | Link to this
DEAR WAYNEBUCKHEAT YOU HATE COPS SO MUCH WHEN YOUR CAR IS STOLEN OR YOU ARE MUGGED CALL A CRACK HEAD TO HELP YOU
By Keith Lynch
February 10, 2007 2:33 PM | Link to this
Georgians, here is a story that should be considered when innocent people are charged by unscrupulous public servants. A federal jury awarded $14 million Friday to a former death row inmate who came within weeks of execution but was exonerated. John Thompson, 40, maintained through 18 years in prison that he was innocent of killing hotel executive Ray Liuzza, 34, during a robbery in December 1984. In 1999, weeks before Thompson was to die, a defense investigator found a crime lab report that cleared him of the robbery charge. The blood type of the robber, found on the victim’s pants, did not match Thompson’s. A judge resentenced Thompson to live in prison without parole, but the murder conviction stood until a state appeals court overturned it and ordered a new trial. Thompson was found not guilty in the retrial. Jurors in the civil trial ordered the Orleans Parish and several current and former prosecutors to pay Thompson, said Gordon Cooney. Along with fellow attorney Michael Banks, Cooney worked 14 years to have Thompson retried and acquitted. God had saved my life and I wrote about the injustice. Review my nightmare @www.kllundypublishingllc.com
By Fred
February 16, 2007 7:16 PM | Link to this
Wow Keith. Interesting website.
By Tony
February 17, 2007 3:31 PM | Link to this
What’s wrong Buckwheat, nothing to say?