Originating in the 1920’s, police 10-codes were the main way that officers and dispatchers communicate within their agency. Because airwaves were scare, everyone shared the same channel causing congestion and overcrowding. Communication had to be simple, short and straight to the point. The 10-codes were invented to allow discreet information to be passed along through the airwaves without the general public, suspects, or criminals understanding the communications. Over the years, the need to communicate between agencies and jurisdictions has grown. As mutual aid and inter-jurisdictional events became more common, the determination that 10-codes were not standardized has become apparent. An example of this is within the NYC emergency
