why are cops referred to as 12

February 17, 2026

“12” is modern slang for the police, most commonly used as a quick warning that cops are around, and it likely grew out of old police radio codes and then spread through Southern U.S. and hip‑hop culture.

Why are cops referred to as “12”?

The basic meaning

“12” is a shorthand slang term for police officers.

People often yell “12!” as a heads‑up that law enforcement is nearby or about to pull up, especially if someone might be doing something illegal.

It shows up a lot in music, movies, and online conversations, so even people who aren’t in those communities now recognize it as “the cops.”

In street or party contexts, “12” is basically code for “watch out, cops.”

Other theories people talk about

There’s no single official, confirmed origin, and different sites and discussions bring up a few alternate possibilities.

Common ones you’ll see:

Unit or badge numbers
- Some explanations suggest “12” might have come from a specific narcotics or crime unit number in a Southern city that became infamous locally, then spread through culture.

 * This idea is harder to prove, but it’s often mentioned alongside the radio‑code theory.

TV or pop‑culture references
- A few people link “12” to older TV or radio references about police, similar to how “5‑0” came from the show Hawaii Five‑0.

 * Some articles note that by the **late 1960s–1970s** , the term was already circulating in certain communities, then later appeared in films like _Friday_ as a warning about cops.

General numbered cop slang
- In U.S. slang, numbers and cops go together a lot: “5‑0,” “12,” “po‑po,” “187,” etc., so “12” may have stuck simply because it was short, punchy, and easy to yell as a warning.

Most explanations still circle back to the 10‑12 code as the most plausible root, with these other theories layered on.

How “12” spread: hip‑hop and Southern slang

“12” didn’t really blow up nationwide until it traveled through music, internet culture, and regional slang.

It’s heavily associated with African‑American communities in the U.S. South , especially places like Atlanta.

Rappers and hip‑hop artists use “12” in lyrics to talk about raids, traffic stops, or avoiding the police, which helped send the term worldwide.

Social media, memes, and forum discussions then pushed it into everyday online lingo, so now you’ll see comments like “Chill, 12 right there” or “Somebody called 12.”

A simple example: in a neighborhood block party scene, someone might spot a patrol car turning the corner and quickly say, “Yo, 12 coming, put that away,” to warn friends to stop what they’re doing.

Is calling cops “12” disrespectful?

This depends a lot on context and tone.

Some explanations point out that “12” by itself is not automatically an insult ; it’s more of a coded term or warning word.

In many songs or conversations, though, it’s used in anti‑police or tense contexts, so it can carry a negative or confrontational vibe.

Law enforcement–focused articles sometimes group “12” with words like “pigs” when they talk about slang that reflects distrust of police.

So: the word itself is just slang for “police,” but the way it’s used can be neutral, cautious, or openly hostile, depending on who’s saying it and why.

TL;DR: Cops are called “12” because the number likely evolved from the 10‑12 radio code about bystanders or “be on alert,” then got shortened, pulled into Southern and hip‑hop slang, and popularized as a quick warning that police are present.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.

why are cops referred to as 12