General
police call
What does police call mean?
An organized sweep in which troops walk a line picking up litter, cigarette butts, and debris to clean an area — to 'police up' the ground.
"Everybody on line for police call before we secure for the day."
Origin
US military; from 'police' in the sense of to clean or tidy.
Frequently asked questions
What is a police call in the military?
It's an organized cleanup where troops walk in a line across an area picking up litter, cigarette butts, and debris.
Why is cleanup called a police call?
It uses 'police' in its older sense of to clean or make tidy, not law enforcement — to 'police up' an area means to clean it.
What does 'police up' mean?
It means to pick up, clean, or tidy — for example, to police up brass on a firing range or trash around the barracks.
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