Date:  Mon, 29 Apr 1996 10:56:49 -0500

From:  Tom Beckner <TMBECKNER[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]TAYLORU.EDU>

Subject: Re: 9= police



In prisons, 911 is sometimes used to refer to both "snitches" and to the

officers to which they give information. In one of my recent interviews--

in New Jersey--I also heard 411 used in the same way.



I expect that 9 is merely a shortened form of that, although that might not

explain 99 (how about the old agent 99 as a possible source?)

tmbeckner[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]tayloru.edu