About the book

Decode the language of cops, criminals and crime stories.

Confused by what cops say on TV, in crime novels or in true-crime stories? This sharp little guide helps decode the language of policing.

The book grew out of Charles Harris’s research for a novel, which involved spending time with the police. What he discovered was a language that is funny, scurrilous, practical and revealing.

Alongside the jokes, there are also serious terms used in everyday policing, making the book useful for readers, writers and anyone who wants to understand police language more clearly.