Line of Duty acronyms explained – including CHIS and DIR

What do all the technical terms mean in series 6?

LINE OF DUTY TERMS EXPLAINED

by Alex Ross |
Updated on

As the sixth series of Jed Mercurio's Line of Duty comes to an end on Sunday 2nd May, the nation all has the same question.... What do all the technical terms mean?

With AC-12 officers Superintendent Ted Hastings and DI Steve Arnott, and new characters DC Chloe Bishop and DCI Joanne Davidson all using a number of technical terms during episode one-six, viewers were left wondering what they were all talking about!

What on earth do things like OCG and AFO mean?! Well, luckily for us, the BBC have released a detailed description of all the technical terms, so now we can all enjoy Line of Duty like we are one of the AC-12 officers.

Line of Duty: What do the acronyms mean?

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CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Line of Duty acronyms explained - stacked

OCG - Organised Crime Group: Serious crime planned, coordinated and conducted by people working together on a continuing basis, mostly acting in different roles depending on their skills and expertise. PACE - Police and Criminal Evidence Act: Established in 1984, a code of practice that regulates police powers and protects public rights.

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CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Line of Duty acronyms explained

REG 15 - Regulation 15 notice: A notice that advises an officer that a complaint has been made or a conduct matter has come to light that warrants investigation by professional standards department. RIPA - Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000: An act of Parliament of the United Kingdom, which regulates the powers of the public bodies to carry out surveillance and investigation, and covers the interception of communications.

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CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Line of Duty acronyms explained

RTC - Road Traffic CollisionANPR - Automatic Number Plate Recognition: Technology is used to detect, deter and disrupt criminality at a local, force, regional and national level.

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CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Line of Duty acronyms explained

AC-12 - Anti-Corruption Unit 12: A dedicated unit that holds responsibility for investigating corruption within the police force. CHIS - Covert Human Intelligence Source: A person who establishes or maintains a personal or other relationship with another person for the covert purpose.

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CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Line of Duty acronyms explained

AFO - Authorised Firearms Officer: A police office, who has been selected, trained, accredited and authorised by their chief officer to carry a firearm operationally. ARVs - Armed Response Vehicles: ARVs are crewed by Authorised Firearms Officers to respond to incidents believed to involve firearms or other high-risk situations.

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CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Line of Duty acronyms explained

DIR - Digital Interview Recording: Digital device used to record police interviews. IOPC - Independent Office for Police Conduct: A non-departmental public body in England and Wales which, since 8 January 2018, is responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against forces in England and Wales.

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CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Line of Duty acronyms explained

FI - Forensic Investigator: The FI gathers and preserves physical evidence at a crime scene to take to a lab where they examine what they or other law enforcement personal have found. I.P. Address - Internet Protocol Address: A numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.

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CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Line of Duty acronyms explained

SFC - Strategic Firearms Commander: The SFC has overall strategic command of firearms operations, with responsibility and accountability for directions given. UCO - Undercover Operative: A method use by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. They wear civilian clothes that fit in to avoid detection.

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CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Line of Duty acronyms explained

TFC - Tactical Firearms Officer: A TFC provides guidance on the appropriate use in respect of different tactical options involving the deployment of AFOs. VPN - Virtual Private Network: The extension of a private network that includes links across shared or public networks, such as the Internet.

The Line of Duty series 6 finale hits our screens at 9pm on Sunday 2nd May.

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