Police Code 10-90: What It Means and When to Use It

Code	Meaning in General Purpose	Meaning in APCO	When to Use in General Purpose	When to Use in APCO	Example in General Purpose	Example in APCO
10-90	Bank alarm	Transfer fire alarm wire	When a security alarm is triggered at a bank or there is suspicious activity around the bank.	During fire department maintenance or when transferring alarm systems.	A bank’s silent alarm is triggered due to suspicious movements, leading to an immediate police dispatch.	Fire department updating or transferring the alarm system at a complex, requiring coordination.

In police 10 codes system, the code 1090 has two different meanings. One, in General Purpose and second, in APCO Association of Police Officer Communication.

What Does Police Code 10-90 Mean in General Purpose?

In general police operations, 10-90 signifies a bank alarm. This means that law enforcement is being alerted to a possible robbery or suspicious activity happening at a bank. Officers are dispatched quickly to investigate or handle the situation.

When Is Police Code 10-90 Used in General Purpose?

• When a security alarm is triggered at a bank.
• During situations of suspicious activity inside or around a bank.
• When officers need to secure a bank after an alarm activation.

Example of Police Code 10-90 in General Purpose

Imagine a bank’s silent alarm gets triggered due to suspicious movements during closing hours. Dispatch immediately issues a 10-90 alert, sending officers to the location for immediate investigation.

What Does Police Code 10-90 Mean in APCO (Association of Police Communications Officers)?

Within the APCO framework, 10-90 refers to a transfer of fire alarm wire. This meaning differs from its use in regular law enforcement situations, applying more to fire department operations.

When Is Police Code 10-90 Used in APCO?

• During fire department maintenance when alarm systems are being updated or transferred.
• When an alarm system transfer is in process, requiring coordination between departments.
• In non-emergency situations related to fire alarm system maintenance.

Example of Police Code 10-90 in APCO

During a routine fire alarm system update at a large complex, the fire department needs to transfer the alarm wire to a new system. A 10-90 code is issued to signal the start of this transfer process.

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