1096 1.) Police code for a crazy person, a lunatic. 2.) Sometimes used by crazy people (ie, Scanner Dan) to call non-crazy people names. 1.) COP: Dispatch, we got a 1096 in front of Walgreens on State St, I'm gonna need back-up. Saw this and just had to post it. Here there is a similar code; 5150 which happens to be our house number.(LOL) It means involuntary incarceration for being criminally insane.