Police Vocabulary

This page from our English for Police section lists language that police need in an English-speaking context. Each word is shown with its contextual meaning and an example sentence.

After reviewing this vocabulary, you may like to try our police vocabulary quiz.

vocabulary part of speech	meaning	example sentence
arrest verb	take into police control	My partner arrested the man who set fire to the building.
assailant noun	person who assaults or attacks	Did you see the assailant run away?
at large, on the loose	not caught, running free	I'm afraid that the man who robbed the bank is still at large.
armed and dangerous adjectives	is carrying a weapon and has a violent background	Do not approach the thief if you see him. He is considered armed and dangerous.
back-up noun	police that are called in to support or help	We're calling for back-up now that we know she has a gun.
bail noun	large amount of money that someone pays as a promise to appear in cour	Your husband's bail is posted at $20,000.
baton, night stick noun	heavy stick that police use for controlling crowds or defending themselves	No, we don't carry guns. We only have batons.
book sby verb	register someone as a criminal	We're taking your brother down to the station to book him.
break into verb	enter a residence, car, or business illegally	Do you have any idea who would have broken into your car?
burglar noun	a person who breaks into a home or business and steals items	We think the burglar got in through your chimney.
cell noun	individual room in a jail or prison	We'll have to keep you in a cell until someone comes to pay your bail.
convict noun	a person who is doing (or supposed to be doing) jailtime	Please be aware that there is a convict on the loose.
cop, copper noun	police officer (common slang)	Did somebody here call the cops?
criminal record noun	a file that lists all of the crimes a person has committed	We don't allow anyone with a criminal record into our country.
crime scene noun	the place where a crime happened	Please stay outside the yellow tape. This is a crime scene.
cruiser, squad car noun	police car	Please step out of your vehicle and get into the police cruiser.
(in) custody noun	under police control	You will be happy to know that we have taken the kidnapper into custody.
DUI, DWI	driving after drinking too much alcohol (Driving Under the Influence, Driving While Intoxicated)	Your record says that you have two previous DUIs.
detective noun	police officer responsible for solving crime	The detective is going to ask you a few questions about the man's appearance.
do time verb + noun	receive punishment for a crime by spending time in jail	You won't be required to do any time but you will have to pay a fine.
domestic dispute	argument/trouble in the home(often leads to violence)	We've had a number of calls reporting a domestic dispute in your hotel room.
escape verb	get away from a holding place	If you try to escape we will have to restrain you with handcuffs.
felony noun	a major crime (e.g. murder)	Murder is considered a felony and is punishable by life in prison.
fine noun	money that a person pays for breaking a law	You can get charged a large fine for speeding in a school zone.
fingerprints noun	marks left by fingers that identify a person	We're going to have to check your personal belongings for fingerprints.
firearms noun	weapons that shoot	It is illegal to carry unregistered firearms such as rifles and pistols.
gang noun	a group of people often associated with crime and drugs	Stay away from this area at night as there is a lot of gang activity.
guilty adjective	responsible for a crime, deserving of punishment	You will be considered innocent until you are proven guilty.
handcuffs noun	metal rings that attach to wrists to keep criminals (or the accused) from escaping	We put your boyfriend in handcuffs, because we saw him climbing through your window and thought he was an intruder.
innocent adjective	not responsible for the crime	We'll believe you are innocent when you show us your receipt for the items in the bag.
intruder noun	a person who enters a home or business illegally	Someone called to report an intruder on the third floor.

jail, prison noun	a place where criminals are confined	The guards will be patrolling the prison all day long.
misdemeanor noun	a minor crime (punishment is usually a fine or less than one year in jail)	Stealing a road sign is considered a misdemeanor,but is punishable by a large fine.
noise complaint	a call to the police to complain of disturbing noise (usually music or a party)	Two of your neighbours have made a noise complaint tonight.
partner noun	another officer that a policeman drives and works with	I'm going to get you to tell your story to my partner.
patrol verb on patrol	observe and protect an area	We always patrol the downtown core on the weekends.
perpetrator noun	person who committed the crime	The perpetrator is still at large.
pickpocket noun	a thief who steals from people's pockets in transit or in crowds	Beware of pickpockets on the subway.
pistol noun	a hand held firearm	Our local cops carry pistols but rarely use them.
pursuit noun	the act of searching for	We are in pursuit of a man in a green jacket and orange pants.
radar	radio wave transmission that helps police track cars and map crime scenes	According to our radar you were driving well above the speed limit.
robbery noun	theft; taking something that does not belong to you, often with force	We have twenty officers investigating the bank robbery.
speeding ticket	a fine given to a driver who gets caught driving beyond the speed limit	Your license shows a clean driving record except for one speeding ticket from five years ago.
steal verb	to take something that does not belong to you	Do you know who stole your wallet?
street crime noun	crime such as drugs and prostitution	Don't give the beggars any money. You will only be promoting street crime.
thief noun	somebody who steals	We have found the thief who stole your car.
walkie-talkie noun	hand held radio each partner carries	My partner told me your license plate over his walkie-talkie.
wanted	being searched for by police	A man from your hotel is wanted for his involvement in a murder.
witness verb	to see something happen	Three people witnessed the murder but they are afraid to speak.
young offender, juvenile delinquent	a minor who commits a crime (usually under age of 18)	Your punishment will be less severe because you are a young offender.