Whenever you hear code 4 in law enforcement terms, it means that no further assistance is needed. So, if you are ever at a crime scene, and you hear an officer saying code 4, it could be that he is saying there is no need for the office to send extra officers.
For those who wish to join the force, it is best to keep in mind that law enforcement authorities usually work with codes. Therefore, if you want to be a part of law enforcement agencies, you must familiarize yourself with these codes.
The idea is to have a way of passing information within the team in shorter ways. For example, in emergencies, one would not stress speaking too many words. Instead, communication can be done with code, and team members will understand.
Also, there is a need for privacy within the team. So, when law enforcement officers use codes, they are sure that some public members will not understand what they are saying.
However, with the way things are going in society, people are beginning to learn the various codes used in law enforcement agencies, just as code 4 means no further assistance is needed.
Below Is A Table Showing Some Codes And Their Meanings:
| Codes | Meanings |
| Code 10 | Bomb threat |
| Code 22 | Restricted radio traffic |
| Code 2 | Urgent |
| Code 7 | Mealtime |
Meaning Of Codes In Law Enforcement Agencies
Below are different law enforcement codes and their in-depth explanation:
Code 1
Code 1 means do so at your convenience. It is a code that law enforcement officers use between themselves when passing instructions. However, it is used when the action is not to be carried out immediately.
So, it could be an officer passing an instruction but telling his teammates to do it at their convenience. Therefore, whenever you hear this code, keep in mind that it is not an urgent situation and can be carried out later.
Code 2
Code 2 in law enforcement terms means urgent. It comes as a contrast to code 1, which means do so at your convenience. So, if a law enforcement officer is talking with his team or giving instructions and the person says code 2, it is an urgent situation.
If the person was giving instructions, they tell others to engage the instructions immediately. It could even be that the law enforcement officer needs backup or is trying to describe the state of the situation.
Code 6
Code 6 means responding from a long distance. You can hear them using this code during interactions between law enforcement officers. For example, it can be an officer wanting to know the location of their colleague. So, if the colleague is far away, the person can say code 6.
You can see that code 6 makes it easy to describe their location as teammates will understand that it means they are far away.
Codes are usually helpful as they come as the shorter version of saying things that could be a mouthful.
Code 10
We can say that this is one of the most serious codes in law enforcement terms. Code 10 means that there is a bomb threat. Once you hear code 10, it would be best to vacate the location immediately, as the enforcement team has identified bomb threats.
So, law enforcement agents use this code to tell themselves there is a bomb threat, and they spring into action immediately.
As a civilian, it would be best for you to stay far away once you hear code 10.
Code 20
Understandably, no man is an island, and help is regularly needed. In law enforcement agencies, officers usually look out for each other and help themselves. It is why there is code 20 in law enforcement terms.
Code 20 means that an officer needs assistance. It could be asking for more hands or even asking for an ambulance if the officer was injured. Saying this code can work out in different ways. However, it is a code asking for help, and officers know what to do when their colleague uses this code.
Code 9
A common example of when law enforcement agents use this code is during criminal cases, especially when they pursue an escaping criminal.
For example, there is a vehicle chase, and the law enforcement team is trying to catch up with a criminal or offender. Therefore, they use code 9 to tell their other team to set up a roadblock.
Code 9 means setting up a roadblock and comes in handy when trying to track someone.
Also, you can see that it is a subtle way of communicating so that eavesdroppers would not understand the message they are passing.
Code 7
Code 7 comes as a more relaxed or playful code in law enforcement terms. This code means mealtime, alerting officers that food is ready and time to eat.
After all, these officers will not be at their best if they haven’t eaten, so we cannot underestimate the importance of food or its role.
Code 12
Code 12 means to notify the news media. So, if officers are at a location and feel that it is newsworthy, they use this code to tell others to notify the news media. That is how people get to know what is happening around them.
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about law enforcement codes:
Does Code 4 Mean Dead?
No, code 4 does not mean dead. Instead, it means that no further assistance is needed. Therefore, the person passing the message means that they have things under control. It is also a way of assuring others.
What Does It Mean To Be Code 5?
In law enforcement terms, code 5 means stakeout. The person trying to inform others that they are planning a stakeout.
What Does Code Red Mean?
Code red is not necessarily a law enforcement term as many people use it. Instead, it is used to signify an emergency.
Conclusion
Code 4 means that no further assistance is needed. So, it would be best if you were not confused the next time you hear it. There are about 10 codes in law enforcement terms, and they all mean different things. What matters is that both the sender and receiver make sense of it.
