Many police-related slang terms exist for police officers. These terms are rarely used by the police themselves.
Police services also have their own internal slang and jargon; some of it is relatively widespread geographically and some very localized.
A Agua Used in United States particularly by communities of significant Puerto Rican or hispanics in east coast or New England. Agua means water in Spanish, which is a play on the fact that police uniforms are usually blue. so declaring "Agua" outloud when engaged in criminal activity is shouted to signify the police presence. Alphabet Agency/Alphabet Soup/Alphabet Bois Used in the United States to denote the multiple federal agencies that are commonly referred to by their initials such as the FBI, ATF, and DEA. Anda An Urdu language word meaning egg, for the pure-white uniform of traffic police in urban Pakistani areas like Karachi. Askar/Askari A Somali term meaning “soldier” which is often used by Somali immigrants to the United Kingdom to refer to police. It is commonly used by rappers in UK drill. Aynasız A Turkish phrase derived from word ayna ("mirror"), referring to 'those without a mirror', a pejorative description of police lacking honor and having too much shame to look at themselves in the mirror. Often used by Turkish immigrants, particularly to describe police who will beat or assault them sans witnesses. Also, the first Renaults to enter the market in Turkey had no right rear-view mirrors. Most owners would simply get a mirror installed, but inasmuch as policemen did not want to pay out of pocket for one they were called "mirrorless" (aynasız). Aina See Aynasız. A Rinkeby Swedish slang term commonly used in immigrant-heavy areas to refer to police.
B Babylon Jamaican slang for establishment systems, often applied to police. Derived from the Rastafari movement which, in turn, regards Babylon as symbolising debauchery, corruption and evil-doing in general. The term was used as the title of the 2014 British police drama Babylon. Bacon See Pig. Derogatory; derived from the term "Pig/Pigs"; can refer to a single officer or the police generally.Eric Partridge, The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English (2009) Bagieta Polish slang term for police officer, that is: baguette and it is reference to police baton BAC French slang for police officer; acronym of the Brigade anti-criminalité in France. Ballenjatter Dutch, originating from police officers who confiscated the footballs of youngsters playing in the street. Barney Slang term, usually derogatory, for a town policeman; named for Barney Fife. Battenburg Referring to yellow and blue, large, squared, reflective checker pattern on UK police cars; refers to a type of cake. (Update from "Jam Sandwich" of earlier cars.) Bausj, Bauers or Baosj Norwegian slang derived from Berber meaning "boss, head" Bängen Swedish word rooted in slang meaning the devil :wikt:bäng Bears Slang term for the police (citizen's band radio slang), "Smokey Bear” in reference to the Highway Patrol campaign hats. Seldom derogatory; very common with truckers in the US. The Beast US term used in this singular form to refer to any number of police officers, an entire police force, or police in general. This linguistic pattern results in an implied sense that individual police are all representative parts of one whole, monstrous creature with a united objective and attitude. Referenced most widely on The Fugees' album The Score and KRS-One's Sound of da Police. Beat cop Inoffensive slang for patrolling officers. Benga Czech slang term for police officers. Derived from Romani language word "beng" meaning devil or satan. Bill Also Old Bill. The Bill was the title of a television police series in the UK, based in a fictional London borough. Bird US, slang for a police helicopter. See also "Ghetto Bird". Not to be confused with the UK parallel to "chicks", a more modern and now more common use of "birds." Bizzies Also "busies". UK, Scouse dialect, said to be as the police were always too "busy" to help citizens who reported low-level crimes such as house burglaries. An likelier alternative origin is that the police are seen as "busybodies", i.e., they ask too many questions and meddle in the affairs of others. Black Maria (pronounced "Mariah") Slang term used in the UK, Ireland, and elsewhere; the police van used to transport prisoners, also used in the 19th century in the US and France with various suggested etymologies including racehorses or the infamous black, large, fierce Liverpool guesthouse owner, Maria Lea. Black police黑警. A derogatory Cantonese slang that refers to Hong Kong Police Force officer by pro-democracy supporters during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. Portmanteau for triad gangsters (黑社會) and police (警察) . See also triads for context. Blackshirt UK, derogatory name referencing the modern police uniforms and armed squads of Italian Fascists under Benito Mussolini. Blues and Twos UK, from the flashing blue lights and the two-tone siren on a police car. Blueband UK, from the blue cap-band worn by PCSOs. Bluebottle Antique name for the police referring to the old-style uniform. Blue Canary Canadian, a term used by firefighters to rib police officers. Miners historically used canaries to monitor the air quality of a mine; when the canary died, the air quality was considered unworkably poor. Police officers have been known to put themselves at risk when rendering aid, usually running into a fire or other toxic atmosphere without proper training or personal protective equipment. Antonym: Hose Monkey. Blue Flu US term for a bargaining tactic whereby police officers who are prohibited from taking strike action, call in sick en masse as a means of informally striking. Blue Force US slang term for the police, mainly used in Florida. Blue Heeler Australian slang term, particularly in rural areas, in reference to the blue appearance and traits of the Blue Heeler Australian Cattle Dog. Blue Heelers was a long-running Australian police television drama series. Blue Light Special Slang term for someone being pulled over. Blue Lights UK Slang term, originates from British police cars having blue lights. 1960s and 1970s hippie slang for the police in Britain, referring to the blue uniforms and inspired by the bad guys in the 1968 Beatles film Yellow Submarine. Blå-blå Norwegian slang meaning "blue-blue", derivative of "popo" and in reference to blue lights and former color of uniform. Bobby UK, derived from the Conservative British Home Secretary, Sir Robert Peel ("Bobby" being a nickname for "Robert"), the founder of the Metropolitan Police. Occurs in fixed phrases e.g. "bobby on the beat", "village bobby". Still used on UK Railways to describe signalmen and women, dating back to the earliest days of railway operations when a train driver was required to stop only at a policeman's order. Bœuf Quebec, ('ox'). Probably in opposition to the French term vache ('cow'), or for the usual featureless gaze of police officers colloquially called face de bœuf ('ox face'). Allows to call a police car an 'ox cart' (char à bœufs). Booked UK and US, usually after being arrested, to be taken to custody suite and held there in a cell. "They took me to the nick and they booked me." (Dizzie Rascal) Bófia A derogatory slang in Portugal used for police officers and law enforcement in general. Booze Bus Australian slang term referring to a police roadside random breath testing station, which are often specialized buses. Boy Dem / Boydem / Bwoy Dem Jamaican-origin slang term, also popular in the UK and Toronto. The Boys Term used by African-American communities in Baltimore. Boys in Blue In reference to the blue uniform. Brady Cops Police officers who have been dishonest are sometimes referred to as "Brady cops". Bronze Police slang term used in Mad Max; originated in Australia but used in the UK. BTP Specialised use (mainly on UK railways) – abbreviation of British Transport Police, the oldest and one of three UK national specialist police forces. Sometimes derogatorily known as "Sleepers" (US railroad "ties") but not due to their position in the track. Buck Rogers UK (London and south east) comic/derogatory reference to officer using speed trap gun. Bull Railroad police in the US, most prevalent in the first half of the 20th century. Bulle German for 'bull'. Slang for police officer, often derogatory. Bullerei and the plural Bullen refer to the police as a whole. Buttons (The) US, 1940s, referring to the large brass buttons of the era. Byling Old Swedish slang for patrolling officers. The word means "peeler" in Swedish and it is rarely used nowadays.
C Cana South American slang term for police or jail. Caraliu (Romania, antiquated) A term used to designate law enforcement personnel of either sex, possibly derived from "caraulă", meaning "guard" or "sentinel". Chimps UK slang term for Community Support Officers, acronym for "Completely Hopeless in Most Policing Situations". Chota Central American and Mexico slang term for police. Cig Pronounced with a hard C; used to refer to inspectors in the Irish police force, An Garda Síochána. Derived from the Irish name .Sweeney, A. (2014). Deadly Intent. United Kingdom: Severn House. Cop, Coppa or Copper The term copper was the original word, used in Britain to mean "someone who captures". In British English, the term cop is recorded (Shorter Oxford Dictionary) in the sense of 'to capture' from 1704, derived from the Latin capere via the Old French caper. The OED suggests that "copper" is from "cop" in this sense, but adds that the derivation is uncertain. Many imaginative, but incorrect stories have come up over the years, including that cop refers to the police uniform's copper buttons, the police man's copper badge, or that it is an abbreviation for "constable on patrol", "constabulary of police", or "chief of police". Cuicos Central Mexico slang term for police. Most likely related to the slang for pig.
D Dogs Slang term understood to compare police activity to that of dogs, i.e. sniffing around etc. Ds Slang for detectives, police. Dibble The name of fictional police officer in the cartoon Top Cat. "Dibble" has been adopted as a British-English slang term for police officer (can be in fun), especially one with Greater Manchester Police Divvy van police vehicle used to transport criminals around Comes from Victoria Police in Australia. The main response vehicle is called a 'Divisional Van', shortened to Divvy Van. Originally there was one van only to each police division, hence the term.
F Fakabát An old Hungarian term meaning "wooden-coat". The name originates from World War II Hungarian army slang, where a wooden coat meant a box-like small wooden shelter at guard posts, just enough for a guard to step in and be somewhat protected from weather. Later, in the Socialist era, the police was issued with brownish vinyl jackets which became rigid in cold weather, and cops started calling them wooden coats, for they felt like actually wearing a guard box, as the name implies. The term is still widely known today. Feds Usually used in the United States to refer to federal law enforcement agencies, especially the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals Service. Also used in Australia to refer to the Australian Federal Police, and in London as general slang for the Metropolitan Police Service. Federales Spanish, the Mexican Federal Police. The term gained widespread usage by English speakers due to its popularization in films. The term is a cognate and counterpart to the slang "Feds" in the United States.