How to Read Abbreviations on Police Reports

Police use many standard abbreviations in their reports to maintain uniformity and clarity.

Police, like all other professionals, use abbreviations or acronyms, both to save time and facilitate communication. Abbreviations are easily understood by other police, and they are valuable in reducing the risk of misinterpretation or error in police reports. Even if you are unfamiliar with these abbreviations, there are quick and easy ways to decipher them if you ever need to read a police report.

Instructions

1. Peruse an online guide of standard abbreviations of terms that police use. Search for police terms at the website, Abbreviations.com. Here you will find entries covering all facets of police work, including abbreviations for suspects' race, age, ethnicity and gender; crimes; vehicles; suspicious behavior; drugs; weapons; community agencies; police personnel and departments; mental illness; geographic locations; crime scene details; actions taken; gang terms and medical conditions.

2. Check out the database "U.S. Law Enforcement Abbreviations and Acronyms" compiled by the Internet Accuracy Project. Look up the abbreviation you are seeking alphabetically in this easy-to-read list.

3. Decipher abbreviations and acronyms that police and other law enforcement around the world use by consulting the "International Law Enforcement Abbreviations and Acronyms" site, also maintained by the Internet Accuracy Project. This list is alphabetical and tells you the specific country where an abbreviation or acronym is used. The site all-acronyms.com is a valuable source for British police terminology, listing 284 commonly used police acronyms in the United Kingdom. The site Police999 is another British-focused database operated by current and retired police officers that explains more UK abbreviations.

4. Refer to a standard manual for police report writing. A classic one, "Basic Police Report Writing,'' by Allen Z. Gammage, has been digitized and you can download it free from the site Internet Archive. It contains an entire chapter on common abbreviations used by police. A newer edition is available through Amazon.com or other used booksellers.

5. Browse the online site The Glossarist, which was specifically designed to help laypersons understand police terminology, abbreviations and acronyms. It also explains slang, terminology and jargon used by police, criminals, prisoners and parolees, as well as numerical and phonetic alphabet codes that law enforcement use to communicate with other officers.

Tips & Warnings

• The Internet Accuracy Project warns that some of the acronyms and abbreviations on their site "may have completely different meanings in different locations." Whatever source you use, make sure you verify its definition across different sources to ensure that it is accurate.

References

• Abbreviations.com; Police
• U.S. Law Enforcement Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Internet Accuracy Project; International Law Enforcement Abbreviations and Acronyms
• all-acronyms.com; 284 Police Acronyms
• "Basic Police Report Writing"; Allen Z. Gammage; 1961; pgs 57-61
• Glossarist; Police Glossaries and Police Dictionaries

Resources

• U.S. Department of Justice; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook
• "Basic Police Report Writing" (second ed.); Allen Z. Gammage; 1974
• Police Acronyms; November 5, 2007
• "A Glossary of Russian Police and Security Service Acronyms and Abbreviations"; Dr Mark Galeotti; 1997
• City of London Police; Abbreviations Abbreviations - A-Z Glossary of Police Terms
• Police Codes.org; Police Codes: What Are They?