I'm guessing there might be some residual benefits in the way of less claims against the city from motorists involved in accidents with cops on code 2-high calls.

I can't even count the number of times I've entered intersections on the green only to have a black and white on a code-2-high (no sirens, no lights) zip past in a near-T-bone.

I have noticed, at least in the Valley and in Burbank, that during rush hour periods, especially 3 to 6 pm, increasingly cars DO NOT move aside to allow police, fire or ambulance vehicles to proceed. If more noise and lights help, go ahead.

Cars don't move over anywhere. I can't decide if this is because all the drivers are stars and self-absorbed or because they're so new to this country they don't know the law. Gardener's truck or big Mercedes--they own the road.

The reason given by the LAPD for changing their Code 3 policy sounds a bit disengenous. There are provisions in the Vehicle Code that allow the police to ignore traffic laws ( within reason) without risk of liability IF they are using lights and sirens. That's what Code 3 is all about. "Code 2 high" is creative wording by LAPD (you wont find it in the Vehicle Code and its not used by any other department I know of) that basically says to the cops "get there in a hurry and break driving laws if you need to" but lay off the lights and sirens. The problem is, if a crash ensues, the department and especially the cops are left high and dry civily. They probably got burned in court for getting involved in crashes while driving "code 2 high" and are now trying to conform to the law. Response times won't change, but I guess that's the line they are pushing.

No, no, no. "Code 2/High" wasn't creative wording and had nothing to do with officers breaking any traffic laws to get to urgent calls. There were - and are - only three "speeds" for responding to calls: Code 3: (siren & red lights); Code 2: urgent, respond immediately but obey all traffic laws; and non-code: handle as soon as practicable.

"Code-2/High" was merely an indication on the 9-1-1 calltaker's computer that told him/her to broadcast certain call-types over the radio immediately, rather than sending them electronically to the radio dispatcher for HIM/HER to broadcast. The idea was that this would get the information out to nearby patrol cars more quickly. The units were still to respond "Code 2," obeying the rules of the road.

Code-2/High came in as part of the computer-aided-dispatch system in 1982, and was intended only as a "flag" for the call-takers. They began adding the word "high" on so-designated Code-2 calls, and it just stuck.

Code-2/High or Code-2 have never authorized officers to ignore traffic laws, and when they do it they are setting themselves up for both liability and disciplinary troubles.

In the first week without Code-2/High, LAPD responded to about 2,710 calls Code 3 - compared to the previous average of 400-500 Code 3 calls a week.

P.S. To the comment that "Response times won't change, but I guess that's the line they are pushing."

To the contrary, in the first two weeks of no "Code-2/High," response times to emergency calls decreased from an average of 10.6 minutes to an average of 7 minutes, or about 34% faster response. Most of the former Code-2/High calls are now going out as Code-3, with some (those that do not appear to be "life-threatening") remaining as Code-2.

The Daily News has it at http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200%257E20954%257E2169437,00.html - and I believe the story was in the Times too.