Mystery Writers Forum

Life and Death => Police Procedures => Topic started by: Lance Charnes on September 12, 2010, 07:00:52 PM

Title: NYPD radio call-signs
Post by: Lance Charnes on September 12, 2010, 07:00:52 PM
I haven't asked anything obscure for a while, so here goes:

How to NYPD officers refer to themselves (and other officers) on the radio? I know that LAPD units have (or had) "Adam," "Mary," "Victor" (and so on) call signs, so I'll imagine NYPD does something completely different, just because. Trouble is, I haven't been able to figure out what.

I have been able to figure out that NYPD's media office is a black hole for inquiries, so don't bother to point me to them.

The setup: in my current WIP, an NYPD patrol sargeant is trying to call his lieutenant on his handheld while my POV character listens. I already have the NYPD ten-codes. I need to know what the sargeant calls himself on the radio, and what he calls the lieutenant.

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: NYPD radio call-signs
Post by: MTH on September 13, 2010, 09:34:48 AM
If you can wait, I'll probably be in NY this fall and I can just ask an officer.
Title: Re: NYPD radio call-signs
Post by: Bob Mueller on September 17, 2010, 02:42:46 PM
Lance, you might try listening to some live scanner traffic. http://www.melsgarage.com/ has a live NYPD scanner feed, among others.

Actually, just point Windows Media Player (or your media player of choice) to http://67.80.248.238:4002
Title: Re: NYPD radio call-signs
Post by: Lance Charnes on September 18, 2010, 01:04:55 PM
Thanks, Bob. I have it working. Now I'm looking for the English subtitles. It sounds like the field units are talking through multiple woolen blankets. (Or maybe that's just New York...)
Title: Re: NYPD radio call-signs
Post by: The Man on May 05, 2011, 06:04:28 PM
NYPD uses the Alphabet to label the radio car.  A precinct is divided up into 'Sectors'
The sector cars are labledas follows A -Adam
B- BOY
C-Charles
D-David 
E-Edward
F-Frank
G-george
H-Henry
I-Ida , etc etc.

The particlur Pct for example, the 105 Pct in the Boro of Queens, would be called on the radio as '105 Charles'  or usually 'Charlie'  depending on the particular dispatcher.
In the 5th Pct in Manhattan the sector car would be called  5 Charles and so on for each Pct.
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