Apples, Bananas, and Cherries

Police agencies use what is called a phonetic alphabet, as does the military. Why you ask? To insure their radio communications are accurately understood.   Especially in times of stressed voices or poor reception what is said could be misunderstood.   It could be dangerous if  “T” was what the sender said, but the person receiving the message thought it was a “B”.  Same with letters like “J” and G”, “M” and “N?" You get the idea. The alphabets are not all the same throughout the various agencies Several use Adam for the letter “A”, others use Alpha for the letter “A.” I’m not really sure of the criteria agencies use for determining which particular alphabet they use.

Below are some communications using a phonetic alphabet:

“ 10-43 Main and First with Adam Queen Ocean 223”

(Traffic stop at Main and First Street with a vehicle displaying license plate AQO223)

“ 10-29 first name Jonas: J John, O Ocean, N Nora, A Adam, S Sam; Last name Flie: F Frank, L Lincoln, Ida, E Edward.”

(Records check/wants and warrants for Jonas Flie)

As part of my police training I memorized the phonetic alphabet used by my department. I felt confident in its usage, as did my training officers. However, the first time in my police career that I worked alone and stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation I couldn’t recall the phonetic alphabet. When I radioed into the dispatcher the license plate of the violator vehicle I ended up making a traffic stop of license plate Apple, Cherry, Banana and some numbers that I do not recall. I took a bit of ribbing for a while. I may have forgotten many things through the years, but the phonetic alphabet was never one of them.

I don’t have any pertinent ethical or sociological thoughts related to the phonetic alphabet. Lately my thoughts concern violence. It seems like a mass shooting, a homicide suicide, or drive by shooting is occurring. almost everyday in the area where I live. Just the other day in a nearby city, a man was fatally shot while picnicking with his family. He was shot by a member of another family picnicking in the same park. How did we as a society get this way?  Can this trend be reversed?

Until Later,

Sally S