What Does 12 Mean in a Text?
12 means "Police."
The number 12 is used to refer to the police or other law enforcement personnel. For example:
- The 12 pulled me over and said, "Papers." I said, "Scissors, I win!" and drove off. I think he wants a rematch, because he's been following me for the last 20 minutes.
- The 12 said "We are going to have to give you a drugs test." I said "Cool, which drugs are we testing?"
The most popular theory for the use of the number 12 to refer to the police, claims that it comes from Adam-12, a TV crime drama about the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The show ran for seven seasons, from 1968 to 1975, and followed two officers on patrol in the city. Their patrol unit callsign was 1-Adam-12.
12 is one of many abbreviations for the police. Others include:
Image for 12
When I write 12, I mean this:
Adam-12 was a popular TV show.
Summary of Key Points
"Police" is the most common definition for 12 on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
| 12 | |
|---|---|
| Definition: | Police |
| Type: | Internet Slang Term |
| Guessability: |  4: Difficult to guess |
| Typical Users: |  Adults and Teenagers |
Using Numbers in Texts
This video shows the different ways that numbers are used in "text speak":
Example of 12 Used in a Text
12
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See Also
211 (police code for robbery)5150 (police code for madman on the loose)808 (police code for disturbing the peace)AUDITORS (individuals who film and publish interactions with public officials (UK))FIRST AMENDMENT AUDITORS (individuals who film and publish interactions with public officials (US))FTP (file transfer protocol, free to play, f*ck the police, f*ck the pope)NYPD (New York Police Department)SWATTING (making a hoax call to provoke the deployment of armed police)TASER (Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle))
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