211 is a common police code reference for robbery, drawn from California Penal Code section 211 and used in several agency lists. It is not the only answer: Texas Penal Code 29.02 covers robbery, while Dallas's cited call report labels robbery with signal 20. The location and kind of document matter.
Robbery, Theft and Burglary Describe Different Conduct
California section 211 describes taking personal property from a person or immediate presence, against that person's will, through force or fear. The force-or-fear element is why robbery should not be used as a general label for every missing item.
Burglary concerns entry with the required criminal intent under California section 459. It does not require the same confrontation as robbery. Theft is another category, and the distinction is not decided simply by whether the property came from a shop, home or street. See the burglary guide for the entry-and-intent question.
What 211 Tells a Scanner Listener
The 211 reference page compares agency entries, including California lists that say robbery and Arizona lists that use an armed-robbery label. A local radio list can be narrower than the underlying California section, which does not make a weapon a requirement in every robbery.
Folsom's call-type material also distinguishes 211IP, a robbery-in-progress label, from 211R, a robbery-report label. The suffix adds timing or handling context. A bare 211 does not reveal whether the event is underway, reported later or ultimately substantiated.
Texas 29.02 and Dallas Signal 20
Texas section 29.02 describes robbery through bodily injury or specified threats/fear in the course of theft. Section 29.03 covers aggravated robbery under additional conditions. These statutory references should not be replaced with California's numbering.
Dallas's Calls Summary by Problem (Signal) Type report prints 20 for robbery, 20R for a robbery report more than an hour old, and 41/20 for robbery in progress. These are Dallas problem labels, not Texas statutory sections and not proof of what another Texas department broadcasts. The Texas code reference identifies the report and separate priority systems.
An Example Without Assuming the Outcome
Suppose a dispatch entry uses a robbery label and a timing suffix. That tells you what kind of problem was reported and how it was categorized at that point. It does not show that an arrest followed or that the evidence ultimately met each element of an offense.
A later news report or case record may use a different description after investigation. Keep the initial call label attached to its limited purpose instead of turning a scanner translation into a legal conclusion.
Choose the Reference That Fits the Question
For the numeric query, use the 211 page. For the legal-code family, use the California Penal Code guide or the Texas section table. For response language accompanying the call, use the scanner reference.
The Police Codes Guide helps separate those systems. These summaries explain subjects and terminology; a legal decision requires the current full statute, including subsections and exceptions.
FAQ
Is 211 robbery everywhere?
No. It is the California robbery section and a radio shorthand in some lists. Other jurisdictions and dispatch systems use different numbers.
Does robbery always involve a weapon?
California section 211 describes force or fear without making a weapon a requirement in every case. Some agency lists use an armed-robbery label for their radio entry.
Is a stolen item automatically a robbery?
No. The circumstances matter. Theft, robbery and burglary should not be collapsed into one label.
What is the Texas code for robbery?
Texas Penal Code 29.02 covers robbery, with aggravated robbery in 29.03. Dallas signal 20 is a separate call-type example.
Sources
- California Penal Code § 211, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
- California Penal Code § 459, California Legislative Counsel. Official Checked October 2026
- Texas Penal Code § 29.02 (Robbery), Texas Legislature. Official Checked October 2026
- Texas Penal Code section 29.03 (aggravated robbery), Texas Legislature. Official Checked October 2026
- Calls Summary by Problem (Signal) Type, Dallas Police Department. Updated 10/23/2026. Official Checked October 2026
- Communications Manual (radio codes, p. 32), Folsom Police Department. Updated rev. 2019. Official Checked October 2026
- Phoenix Police Department – Radio Codes – Numerical Order, Phoenix Police Department. Updated 3/17/26. Official Checked October 2026