“I think I’ve been there a couple of times,” said one officer. “It’s the only way the guys can have a beer after work, but others say it’s because they are too cheap to buy a real tuxedo,” Lewallen said.Īnother Metro Division expression is the notion of being “in the biz bag,” which somehow translates into an officer in the doghouse with management. Paul Lewallen, who heads the unit, says the “tux” is popular only because officers in uniform cannot drink, but removing the uniform shirt clears the way for them to hoist a glass. “It’s what they wear when they’re on the make,” looking for female cadets, officers or guests, said one female officer.Ĭapt. It is simple garb, consisting of a white T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up or tightened to accentuate the biceps, dark blue uniform pants and black patent leather shoes. Fittingly, there is a clothing ensemble named after the unit.Ī “Metro Tux” is an outfit worn by Metro officers who visit the bar at the training academy on Wednesday night-payday for cops. LAPD’s Metro Division is considered an elite detail, a fact not lost on those from other divisions. “You sometimes have trouble (communicating) when you have to deal with other agencies.” “You have to know the codes and you have to know those words and phrases because they are part of our language,” Voge said. Andy Voge, an eight-year officer assigned to the Van Nuys station, said that when he worked at the 77th Street Division, a stolen car was most often called a “G-ride,” but in the Valley, the common expression is a “hot roller.” Other phrases, confined to a single division, describe wardrobe or conflicts with the boss, or have double meanings for officers who work special duties. Within the department, various divisions have different names for the same crimes. In San Francisco, traffic tickets are referred to as “tags.” In Los Angeles, they are known as “greenies,” after the color of the copy of the citation that the officer keeps. In the San Francisco Police Department, for instance, a shotgun is called “the gauge,” explained Officer Phil Lee, who is assigned to that city’s Mission Division.Īnd when Lee arrests someone, they don’t check into the Gray Bar but make a little visit to the “company,” he said. The terms used to describe police equipment and services differ from agency to agency.

These days, the Gray Bar Motel is a synonym for “the bucket,” which means jail.

“I never worked at that station, but I did check in a couple of guests at the motel,” Kalk laughed. The term “Gray Bar Motel” was the name for the old Lincoln Heights station house, Kalk said.

Police lingo luds