Vocabulary part of speech | Meaning | Example
sentence |
arrest verb | take into police control | My partner arrested the man who set
fire to the building. |
assailant noun | person who assaults or attacks | Did you see the assailant run away? |
at large (on the
loose) preposition + adjective | not caught, running free | I'm afraid that the man who robbed the bank is
still at large. |
armed and
dangerous adjective | is carrying a weapon and has a violent
background | Do not approach the thief if you see him. He
is considered armed and dangerous. |
back-up noun | police that are called in to support or
help | We're calling for back up now that we
know she has a gun. |
bail noun | large amount of money that someone pays as a
promise to appear in cour | Your husband's bail is posted at 20,
000 dollars. |
baton (night
stick) noun | heavy stick that police use for controlling
crowds or defending themselves | No, we don't carry guns. We only have
batons. |
booksomeone verb | register someone as a criminal | We're taking your brother down to the station
to book him. |
break
into verb | enter a residence, car, or business
illegally | Do you have any idea who would have broken
into your car? |
burglar noun |
a person who breaks into a home or business
and steals items | We think the burglar got in through
your chimney. |
cell noun | individual room in a jail/prison | We'll have to keep you in a cell until
someone comes to pay your bail. |
convict noun |
a person who is doing (or supposed to be
doing) jailtime | Please be aware that there is a convict
on the loose. |
cop/copper noun | police officer (common
slang) | Did somebody here call the cops? |
criminal record
noun | a file that lists all of the crimes a person
has committed | We don't allow anyone with a criminal
record into our country. |
crime scene
noun | the place where a crime happened | Please stay outside the yellow tape. This is a
crime scene. |
cruiser (squad car)
noun | police car | Please step out of your vehicle and get into
the police cruiser. |
(in) custody
noun | under police control | You will be happy to know that we have taken
the kidnapper into custody. |
DUI/DWI
| (Driving Under the Influence/Driving while
Intoxicated). Driving after drinking too much alcohol | Your record says that you have two previous
DUIs. |
detective noun | police officer responsible for solving
crime | The detective is going to ask you a few
questions about the man's appearance. |
do time verb +
noun | receive punishment for a crime by spending
time in jail | You won't be required to do any time
but you will have to pay a fine. |
domestic
dispute adjective + noun | argument/trouble in the home(often leads to
violence) | We've had a number of calls reporting a
domestic dispute in your hotel room. |
escape verb | get away from a holding place | If you try to escape we will have to
restrain you with handcuffs. |
felony noun | a major crime (e.g. murder) | Murder is considered a felony and is
punishable by life in prison. |
fine noun | money that a person pays for breaking a
law | You can get charged a large fine for
speeding in a school zone. |
fingerprints noun | marks left by fingers that identify a
person | We're going to have to check your personal
belongings for fingerprints. |
firearms noun | weapons that shoot | It is illegal to carry unregistered
firearms such as rifles and pistols. |
gang noun | a group of people often associated with crime
and drugs | Stay away from this area at night as there is
a lot of gang activity. |
guilty adjective | responsible for a crime, deserving of
punishment | You will be considered innocent until you are
proven guilty. |
handcuffs noun | metal rings that attach to wrists to keep
criminals (or the accused)from escaping | We put your boyfriend in handcuffs,
because we saw him climbing through your window and thought he was an
intruder. |
innocent adjective | not responsible for the crime | We'll believe you are innocent when you
show us your receipt for the items in the bag. |
intruder noun | a person who enters a home or business
illegally | Someone called to report an intruder on
the third floor. |
jail
(prison) noun | a place where criminals are confined | The guards will be patrolling the
prison all day long. |
misdemeanor noun | a minor crime (punishment is usually a fine or
less than one year in jail) | Stealing a road sign is considered a
misdemeanor,but is punishable by a large fine. |
noise
complaint noun | a call to the police to complain of disturbing
noise (usually music or a party) | Two of your neighbours have made a noise
complaint tonight. |
| partner noun | another officer that a policeman drives and
works with | I'm going to get you to tell your story to my
partner. |
patrol (on
patrol) verb | observe and protect an area | We always patrol the downtown core on
the weekends. |
perpetrator noun | person who committed the crime | The perpetrator is still at large. |
pickpocket noun | a thief who steals from people's pockets in
transit or in crowds | Beware of pickpockets on the subway. |
pistol noun | a hand held firearm
| Our local cops carry pistols but rarely
use them. |
pursuit noun |
the act of searching for | We are in pursuit of a man in a green
jacket and orange pants. |
radar noun/adjective | radio wave transmission that helps police
track cars and map crime scenes | According to our radar you were driving
well above the speed limit. |
robbery noun |
theft; taking something that does not belong
to you, often with force | We have twenty officers investigating the bank
robbery. |
speeding
ticket noun | a fine given to a driver who gets caught
driving beyond the speed limit | Your license shows a clean driving record
except for one speeding ticket from five years ago. |
steal verb | to take something that does not belong to
you | Do you know who stole your wallet? |
street
crime noun | crime such as drugs and prostitution | Don't give the beggars any money. You will
only be promoting street crime. |
thief noun | somebody who steals | We have found the thief who stole your
car. |
walkie-talkie noun | hand held radio each partner carries | My partner told me your license plate over
his walkie-talkie. |
wanted adjective | being searched for by police | A man from your hotel is wanted for his
involvement in a murder. |
witness verb | to see something happen | Three people witnessed the murder but
they are afraid to speak. |
young offender (juvenile
delinquent) noun | a minor who commits a crime (usually under age
of 18) | Your punishment will be less severe because
you are a young offender. |