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The Bill Facts
Updated 18/03/2006
First Aired as Wooden Top - 1983
First Aired as The Bill - 1984
Status - Returning Series
Running Time -
Country - United Kingdom
Currently Screens - Wednesdays & Thursdays at 8pm
Network - ITV1
In 1988, the famous 'plodding feet' title-sequence was dropped
and later that year, with ratings started falling,
The Bill reverted to a 1hour format.
In Australia it was not screened until 1986,
and it wasnt until 1995 that ABC began to copy the 3
episode per week schedule of Britain.
The Bill is so called because "Old Bill" is the
English nickname for the police.
It is screened in many countries, from Brunei
to Zambia, Gibraltar to Norway, and Israel to Saudi Arabia .
Criticised by a minotity of real policemen for its portrayal
of policing methods, The Bill was also attacked for suggesting
yrs ahead of the Stephen Lawrence tragedy and subsequent
enquiry that racism was a facet of today's force.
M.O means 'Modus Operandi'. In other words, the
'method of operation' of a crime - every criminal has
telltale signs in the execution of their work and a different
'style' of committing a crime which can sometimes be
recognised by a particularly experienced or eagle-eyed Police Officer.
In the Met area the older white Police cars are
being replaced with silver cars. This is due to a higher
resale value once they are sold on.
However, the white vans will remain the same colour.
The Bill Lingo
Below are terms we hear cast using & thier meanings
IC1 Light-skinned European appearance
IC2 Dark-skinned European appearance
IC3 African-Caribbean appearance
IC4 Asian appearance
IC5 Chinese/Japanese appearance
IC6 Arabian/Egyptian appearanc
Also officers use the Phonetic Alphabet. Its used in radio communication to avoid confusing letters.
A Alpha
B Bravo
C Charlie
D Delta
E Echo
F Foxtrot
G Golf
H Hotel
I India
J Juliet
K Kilo
L Lima
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
P Papa
Q Quebec
R Romeo
S Sierra
T Tango
U Uniform
V Victor
W Whiskey
X X-ray
Y Yankee
Z Zulu
Cockney slang and Police codes used in The Bill
ABH Actual Bodily Harm
A Body An arrest (as in 'I've nicked a body')
A.C.P.O. Association of Chief Police Officers
Alco Anything to do with the breath test procedure
A.M.I.P. Area Major Investigation Pool (Now SCD but still used by cops)
A.P.A Annual Performance Appraisal
A.P.S. Acting Police Sergeant (two stripes)
A.R.V. Armed Response Vehicle
A.S. All Stations
A.S.A.P. As soon as possible
A.S.P Extendable baton
A.S.U. Air Support Unit (Helicopter)
A.T.S. Automatic traffic signals (traffic lights)
A.W.A.R.E The METS computer front end. (previously OTIS)
B.C.U Borough Command Unit (ie. A number of police stations within one London Borough )
B.I.U. Borough Intelligence Unit
B.L.O. Borough Liaison Officer
Banjo To force open a door
Big House Crown Courts
Black Rat Traffic Patrol Officer
Blagger Robber
B.T.P. British Transport Police
C.A.D. Computer Aided Dispatch
C.A.L.M.S Computerised duties & overtime system
C.C.C. Central Command Complex - Scotland Yard where 999 calls received
C.T.C. Central Traffic Control
C.I.C.B. Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
C.I.D. Criminal Investigation Department
Civvies Civilian Support Staff
C.J.U. Criminal Justice Unit
C.M.O. Chief Medical Officer
Corres. Correspondence / paperwork
C.S. Spray Incapacitant spray carried by officers
C.P.S. Crown Prosecution Service
C.R.B. Collision Report Books (Still referred to as Accident Report Book by cops)
CRIS Crime Reporting Information System
CRIMINT Police Intelligence computer database.
C.S.U. Community Safety Unit
Damage Only Accident involving no personal injury
D.C.I. Detective Chief Inspector
Dev Nom 'Developing Nominal' - the label given to all local villains believed to be committing crime and who are 'looked at' by police but not targeted in the same way as 'Prom Noms'. Thus all 'Prom Noms' will have been 'Dev Noms' at some time but not all 'Dev Noms' will become 'Prom Noms'. Phew!
D.I. Detective Inspector
D.I.O. Divisional Intelligence Officer
Dippers Pickpockets
D.P.G. Diplomatic Protection Group
Dippers Pickpockets
D.P.S Directorate of Professional Standards (Still called C.I.B. Complaints Investigation Bureau by cops)
D.P.P. Director of Public Prosecutions
Drum House
D.S. Detective Sergeant
ESSO Every Saturday and Sunday off (applied to non-shift workers)
Factory Police Station
FATACC Fatal Accident
Fence Person to whom stolen goods are taken
F.M.E Forensic Medical Examiner
F.P.N. Fixed Penalty Notice
GBH Grievous Bodily Harm
G.T. Call sign for Special Operations room at Scotland Yard
Handling Handling Stolen Goods (Handler being the person who handles or receives stolen goods)
I.R. Information Room (Part of Central Command Complex)
I.R.B. Incident Report Book
I.R.V. Instant Response Vehicle
Misper Missing Persons Report
M.I.T. Major Investigation Team
Morning Prayers The 10am meeting of the Senior Management Team & Duty Officer
N.C.I.S. National Criminal Intelligence Service
N.C.S National crime Squad
N.C.P.A. No cause for police action
N.F.A. No further action / No fixed abode
N.I.S National Identification Service (Still called C.R.O.- Criminal Records Office by some cops)
Nick To arrest someone or to refer to the police station
N.S.Y. New Scotland Yard
Obbo Observation
O.C.U. Operational Command Unit
O.H Occupational Health (Health and welfare issues)
O.P. Observation Point
Ops. Operations
O.T.S. Over the side / Out taking statements
P.A.C.E. Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
Pars. Particulars of an occurrence
P.I. Personal Injury Accident
P.N.C. Police National Computer
POLACC Police vehicle involved in accident
P.P.O. Press and Publicity Officer
P.R.s Personal Radios
Prom Nom 'Prominent Nominal' - the label given to 2 or 3 local villains in each Borough who are known to be active and closely looked at on a daily basis.
Q Car Unmarked car fitted with Blues and Twos used on Boroughs
Refs Refreshments Break
R.T.A. Road Traffic Accident
SCD Serious Crime Directorate
SIO Senior Investigating Officer
SO 19 Firearms Unit
SOCO Scene of crime officer
Spin Search
STINGER Device deployed to deflate tyres on suspect vehicles refusing to stop for police
The Yard Scotland Yard
T.I.C. Taken into consideration
T.S.G. Territorial Support Group
Toms Prostitutes
Up the Road Sent for trial to Crown Court
V.D.R.S. Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme
W. Warrant
Wheels Motor Vehicle
Woodentop Nickname for Unifomed Officers
