You're sitting there, headset on, staring at a CAD system that looks like it was designed in 1998, and suddenly the radio chirps. It’s chaos. If you’ve spent more than five minutes in a serious roleplay server or a high-fidelity sim, you know that dispatch: police simulator codes are the difference between a smooth arrest and a total departmental meltdown. People think it’s just about sounding cool. It isn’t. It’s about brevity. When a suspect is reaching for a waistband, you don’t have time to recite a paragraph about their physical location and the socio-economic implications of their behavior. You need three numbers.
Radio silence is golden.
Most beginners jump into games like Police Simulator: Patrol Officers or LSPDFR and just start screaming "Help!" into the mic. Don't be that person. Understanding the phonetic alphabet and the numeric shorthand used by real-world agencies—mostly based on the APCO (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials) standards—is what separates the casuals from the actual sim enthusiasts.
Why We Use Ten-Codes Anyway
The history is kinda boring but functional. Back in the early days of radio, the first syllable of a transmission was often cut off because the vacuum tubes in the radios needed a split second to warm up after the button was pushed. By adding "10-" to the front of a command, it gave the equipment time to catch up so the actual meaning of the message got through. Today, digital radios are instant, but the habit stuck because it's faster to say "10-4" than "I have received your transmission and I understand the instructions."
The Big Ones You’ll Use Every Five Minutes
If you don't know 10-4, why are you even here? Honestly. 10-4 means acknowledgment. Simple. But then it gets tricky.
10-20 is probably the most uttered phrase in any dispatch sim. It means location. "Dispatch, my 20 is 5th and Main." If you say "I am currently located at..." you're wasting airtime.
Then there’s 10-8. That means you’re in service. You’re ready for a call. You’re the hunter. 10-7, on the other hand, means you’re out of service. Maybe you’re grabbing a digital donut, or maybe you’re processing a suspect at the station. Either way, dispatch won't send you a 10-16 (Domestic Disturbance) if you're 10-7.
11-Codes and the California Influence
Interestingly, if you play certain mods based on West Coast policing, you’ll run into 11-codes.
- 11-99: Officer needs help. This is the big red button. If this goes out, every unit on the map drops what they’re doing and hauls it to your 10-20.
- 11-80: Accident with major injuries.
- 11-85: You need a tow truck.
In Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, you often see these simplified, but if you’re playing on a FiveM server with a strict CAD, mixing up 11-80 and 11-85 can mean sending a flatbed to a person who's literally dying. Not a great look for your career stats.
The Semantic Shift: Plain Talk vs. Codes
There is a massive debate in the real policing world right now. Some departments are ditching codes entirely. Why? Because during multi-agency responses—like a massive fire or a riot—the police might use 10-7 for "out of service" while the fire department uses it for something else entirely. It causes deadly confusion.
In the sim world, we call this "Plain Talk."
Basically, you just say what’s happening. "I've got a silver sedan traveling eastbound, high rate of speed." Many modern dispatch sims are moving toward this because it’s more accessible for new players. But let’s be real: using the codes feels better. It adds that layer of immersion that makes you feel like you're actually wearing the badge rather than just clicking a mouse.
Common Misconceptions About 10-Codes
People think 10-codes are universal. They are absolutely not. A 10-42 in one county might mean "Ending Tour of Duty," while in another, it might mean "Traffic Accident."
If you are joining a specific community, read their handbook. Don't assume your knowledge from GTA V carries over to a hardcore LSPDFR private server. You will get roasted by the sergeant. Trust me.
Mastering the Phonetic Alphabet
If you’re calling in a license plate, and you say "B as in Boy," you’ve already failed. You use the NATO phonetic alphabet.
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- Adam (or Alpha)
- Boy (or Bravo)
- Charles (or Charlie)
Most police sims prefer the "Adam, Baker, Charlie" variation over the strictly military "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie," though both are usually accepted. When you're chasing a 10-44 (Stolen Vehicle), rattling off "David-Lincoln-7-4-Nora" makes you sound like a pro. It prevents the dispatcher from asking you to repeat yourself, which is crucial when you're trying to PIT a suspect at 90 mph.
Dispatching Tips for High-Stress Situations
When the screen turns red and the sirens start blaring, your brain usually turns to mush. It happens to everyone. The trick is the "Alert-Locate-Identify" method.
First, hit the panic button or call out your status (10-33 for emergency).
Next, give your 10-20. If they don't know where you are, they can't help you.
Finally, tell them who or what you're looking for.
"Dispatch, 10-33! My 20 is Power Street, foot pursuit, male white, blue jeans, heading North!"
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Short. Punchy. Effective.
Penalties for Incorrect Usage
In games like Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, using the wrong interaction or failing to report a status change doesn't just hurt your pride—it hits your Conduct Points (CP). If your CP hits zero, you're fired. Game over. You have to be methodical. You have to treat the radio like a tool, not a toy.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Shift
If you want to actually improve your ranking and stop being the "rookie" in the lobby, do these things:
- Print a Cheat Sheet: Don't rely on memory. Tape a list of the top 10 most common codes to the side of your monitor.
- Listen More, Talk Less: Spend your first 20 minutes on a server just listening to how the veteran dispatchers handle calls. Notice the rhythm.
- Practice Phonetics: While you're driving in real life, try to call out the license plates of cars in front of you using the police alphabet. It sounds nerdy because it is, but it builds muscle memory.
- Check the CAD: Most modern sims have an in-game Computer Aided Dispatch. Keep it open on a second monitor if you can. It usually lists the active codes for that specific game.
At the end of the day, these codes exist to create order out of chaos. Whether you're patrolling the streets of Brighton or a modded Los Santos, speaking the language is the first step toward mastering the simulation. Don't overcomplicate it—just be clear, be brief, and for heaven's sake, always report your 10-20 before you get out of the car.