Law enforcement has a language all its own, and that language can be confusing, even to fellow officers. Terms and slang used in one jurisdiction can be incomprehensible in a nearby jurisdiction.
With that in mind, Police Magazine has introduced the new user-interactive Police Dictionary to PoliceMag.com. Officers can search for terms or enter their own terms and definitions. You'll feel right at home if you've ever looked up a term on the Urban Dictionary website.
The feature should be fun as well as educational. Here's a sampling of a few of the terms, we've included in the Police Dictionary—Beat Feet, Habbeus Grabbus, Skell, and The Butler Did It.
Look for these and other terms in the Police Dictionary. We've asked officers for terms to get the list started, but it's by no means complete. Please add your own terms or alternate definitions to existing ones.
Also, the dictionary allows you to rate the terms thumbs up or down based on how accurate the definition is. This should be a living dictionary, so please don't be shy about using it. Enjoy!