Signal 16 Police Code Meaning & Definition

What Does Signal 16 Mean?

Signal 16 is a police radio code most commonly used to mean Emergency Message.

Police departments and dispatch centers may use Signal 16 differently, but Emergency Message is the most common meaning found in our database of agencies across the United States.

Most Common Meaning: Emergency Message

Used this way by: 50% of agencies on this page
Used in: 2 agencies across 2 states
Category: Communication
Consensus: MediumMost agencies use this code similarly, but some regional or agency variations exist.

Code Distribution Breakdown

Emergency Message: 50% (1 agency)
Investigate Person(s) With a Weapon: 50% (1 agency)

Signal 16 Police Code Meanings by Agency

2 agencies across 2 states
Signal 16: Emergency Message
CategoryCommunication
State Georgia
Agency Atlanta Police Department
Sources
Signal 16: Investigate Person(s) With a Weapon
CategoryEmergency
State Ohio
Agency Cincinnati Police Department
Sources

Why Does Signal 16 Have Different Meanings?

Police radio codes are not standardized nationwide. Different agencies may assign different meanings to Signal 16 , which is why multiple definitions can exist for the same code.

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