Police Phonetic Alphabet D: What it Means, Usage and Examples

Here’s what Police Phonetic Alphabet D means:

Police Phonetic Letter	Full Form	When to Use	Example in Action
D	David	Used by U.S. police to avoid radio confusion	“Unit David-4 en route.”
D	Delta	Used in NATO and international operations	“Move to Point Delta.”

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What Does Police Phonetic Alphabet D Stand For?

The police letter D stands for:

• Delta (used by NATO, military, aviation, and many emergency services)
• David (used by U.S. law enforcement for clear radio chatter)

When Is Police Letter D Used in Communication?

To ensure clarity, officers use D in situations like:

• License plates: “Run plate David-Foxtrot-654.”
• Unit callsigns: “This is Car David-7, arriving on scene.”
• Address tags: “Suspect near Dock D—Delta Bay.”
• Report notes: “Item stored in Box D—David section.”

Example of Police Alphabet D in Action (U.S. – ‘David’)

Officer 1: “Dispatch, Unit David-4 requesting plate check on David-Echo-321.”

Dispatch: “Copy, running the plate now, David-4.”

Example of Police Alphabet D in Action (International – ‘Delta’)

Control Room: “Rescue Unit Delta-2, move to Grid 14 Bravo.”

Rescue Unit Delta-2: “On our way to Grid 14 Bravo.”

Why Do Police Use ‘David’ Instead of Just ‘D’?

Because just saying D can sound like B or T when the radio crackles. Using “David” makes it unmistakable—no repeats, no hold-ups.

What’s the Difference Between Delta and David?

• “Delta” belongs to the NATO phonetic alphabet, standard in most international operations.
• “David” is part of the APCO radiotelephony alphabet, preferred by U.S. police agencies.

So, if a team in Sydney hears “Delta-3,” they use NATO. In Dallas, “David-3” points straight to a patrol unit.

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