Communications

The ABCs

All radio callouts require:

Accuracy
Is the information you are passing on the radio accurate? Are you reading that postal upside down? Do you mean North or is he actually running Eastward?

Brevity
All radio comms should be as brief as humanly possible whilst also fulfilling the previous two criteria. Do you know what you are going to say before you call up? Do you know your state codes? Is the information required for other officers?

Clarity
Are you being clear with your radio comms? Are you speaking clearly and loudly? Did you start your transmission with your callsign so people know who is calling up? Do people know where you are state 5 to?

This is the system adopted by the Police, and is an excellent guideline for radio communications on PoliceMP too.

Other PoliceMP Radio Guidelines

Radio checks are NOT permitted. If you believe you have an issue with your in-game audio, please use local chat to check this with another colleague, by using a P2P call to test them.

In real life, the Police communications do not call up for every traffic stop, every left turn someone makes, or everytime Mrs Dorris pops out for her milk. With PoliceMP getting ever busier, then comms need to follow ABC above.

When the server is busy, you should not be calling over the radio for your routine traffic stops, plate checks, name checks, or other non-vital events.

The ONLY calls over the radio that are not state code related should be crucial and absolutely necessary for other officers or departments to hear. A shots fired at police, for example, is both of these things but a MOT marker is not.

Correct conduct on the Radio

All communications that are transmitted over the radio should remain professional at all times whether control is active or not. This means not using informal language such as “Mate” and “got it” and instead being formal by saying “Control” and “received/ understood”. Manners should be used at all times.

This also means jokes should not be cracked over the radio or being rude and disruptive/ disrespectful. You should never shout over the radio and remember to follow your ABC’s (which are shown above).

If the transmission is not urgent such as “I have a MOT marker” other uses can be considered such as F2 backup request and the use of text chat. Questions should be put through text chat or F2 along with mod requests or open a support ticket in the Discord by doing /support .

Only urgent requests as an example if the officer is in danger, an officer is down or shots are fired should be transmitted via the radio.

‘Overtalking’ on the Radio

In the real world, Police radios allow for just one transmission at any time. It is therefore impossible to speak over another officer. There are systems in place in the real world that would be impossible to apply to the PoliceMP server.

Just because it is possible for officers to talk over each other on the radio, does not mean that it should happen.

Very rarely, it may be appropriate to interrupt somebody else's radio transmission. For example, a panic button, shots fired or an FTS should take priority over a PT request.

Text chat or the F2 menu can and should be utilised as a ‘text radio’ for less-vital comms when radio comms are required to be clear for an ongoing situation.

Ensuring proper transmission

Similar to real life, the transmit button needs to be held down for approximately 0.5-1.0s before the transmission begins on the system. This prevents unwanted, millisecond length transmission due to malfunction or accidental presses.

Please ensure you are holding down your radio button for 1 full second before you begin to talk.

This may seem counterproductive considering the focus on brevity before, however, if you fail to hold your transmit before you start to speak sometimes the first part of your transmission is not received or ‘clipped’. This means somebody may have to repeat themselves numerous times to pass one message - wasting valuable air time.

Met Control

When Met control is in operation, there should be a clear message in either text chat or over the radio informing all Officers.

Met control is then in charge of maintaining all radio communications on the server. If you want to pass a message over the air you should first call up just with your callsign. When Met Controls replies with your callsign or “go ahead” they are giving you permission to pass your message over the air.

Do not assign yourself to callouts when met control is active.

It is part of the job of met control to send units to callouts. If you think met control may have missed a callout you may contact met control using the system above and say something to the effect of “CW00 I am currently state 2 response, would you like me to attend that shoplifter call on the system?”

If you need to take radio comms, to provide a running commentary for example, ensure you are asking met control beforehand - a frequency swap may be suggested if there are multiple ongoing major events or fail to stops.

An exception to this rule is if you have to press your panic button. Ensure you start your transmission with your callsign followed by “State Zero”

Misuse of the Radio

Talking over people, unwarranted radio checks, unnecessary or unprofessional radio callouts will not be tolerated - especially in instances where there is an ongoing event or the server is particularly busy.

When an Officer has to press their Panic Button, or call themselves State 0 under no circumstances may you interrupt that transmission. Officers may want to ask for an update on the panic only when a reasonable amount of time [5-10 seconds] has passed.

Repeat offenders are likely to get warnings and further action taken against them by staff members, such as kicks or bans.

If you have evidence and wish to report an individual for misusing the radio system, or using it to be hostile towards you or another officer please visit the PSD “Report an Officer” page on the forums.

State Codes

State Codes are a brief set of Codes used on the radio to indicate to control and other officers what state you are in. The following is the State Codes that are used by the Met Police and PoliceMP

Racial codes

When describing a suspect, you should give as many details as possible including build, dress, distinctive features or race. You should use the racial codes to describe the race of any suspects.

Phonetic Alphabet

In PoliceMP, we try to be as accurate to Real World Policing as we can. One example of this is the phonetic alphabet, which is used to ensure clear radio transmissions. The Phonetic Alphabet is demonstrated below.

Examples

Phonetic Alphabet

“CHARLIE, WHISKY, ONE, SIX, Can we get a vehicle check on a Blue Oracle, VRN is WHISKEY TWO THREE.. Standby”

“LIMA ZULU BRAVO”

Attending Callouts

There was a Road Traffic Collision (RTC). You are responding to the callout

“PCSO 11 State 5 to the RTC, approximately 1 mile out, will update once state 6”

You have arrived at the RTC

“PCSO 11 state 6 at RTC, Postal 111”

At this point you should consider what resources you may need on scene to assist you. Such as EMS, Fire or Additional Police Units for Road Closures.

Backup request

There was a Backup Request at postal 111 you are going to respond.

“PCSO 11 State 5 to backup request, can I get a postal?”

You have arrived at the Backup Request
“PCSO 11 State 6 at Backup request, postal 111”

At this point you should consider what resources you may need on scene to assist you. Such as EMS, Fire or Additional Police Units for Road Closures

Pursuits

When a vehicle takes off from you YOU MUST REQUEST RTPC units to take over the pursuit. YOU MUST NEVER ATTEMPT TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE VEHICLE.

“PCSO 11, Priority, I have a vehicle failing to stop on (The road you are on) near postal (The postal you are closest to), the vehicle is a (Describe the vehicle) requesting RTPC units to take over pursuit, I will follow the vehicle unless I am told to stand down.”

On hearing a request for RTPC units to attend the pursuit, RTPC Officers will start to make way. Once they arrive on scene they will take over from you. If there are no RTPC trained officers online you should stand down from the pursuit.