What Does Police Code Signal 61 Mean ?
Status code 61 has several different possible meanings depending on jurisdiction. According to The Oregonian newspaper, the police code signal 61 means “subject in custody” in the state of Oregon. However, the Official Ten-Code List of the Association of Public Communications Officers says that 10-61 means “isolate self for message.”
The official name of the 10-code is 10-61, but is sometimes shortened to just 61. Within the NYPD, 10-61 is an administrative code meaning “Precinct assignment not available (give condition and location).” The Fort Wayne, Indiana Police Department uses code 61 to communicate that a rape has been reported. Other resources list 10-61 as “personnel in vicinity” or “motor vehicle inspection.”
Police use different status codes, sometimes called “10-codes,” to communicate with one another. These status codes are designed to help police dispatchers and units communicate quickly and efficiently and also to keep sensitive information from public knowledge.
