This is a rather interesting episode in which a patrolman-who is moonlighting as a part-time bodyguard-is connected with the murder of his client. Detectives Sipowicz and Simone are assigned the case, and initially everything seems all right until the victim if found with traces of cocaine on his nose.
Following standard protocol, the patrolman is asks to take a drug test. Now, where things get interesting is when Lt. Fancy asks Sipowicz and Simone if they want to tell the patrolman or if he should do it. Thus, the tension from downstairs (patrolmen) and upstairs (detectives) begins.
A lieutenant or captain is the officer in charge of the entire house, and after watching such shows such as Barney Miller (considered by most cops/ex-cops to be the most accurate depiction of a precinct house), I also took the liberty of asking a friend of mine, who is a retired police captain himself when I described the scenario.
Lt. Fancy should have handled the entire situation himself by bringing the patrolman upstairs, probably with his sergeant as well to inform him of why he needed to be tested and to explain the situation so that there wouldn't be any misunderstandings. Of course, that's not what happens, and you soon have Sipowicz and Simone squaring off against many of the patrol officers downstairs who feel that the detectives are trying to incriminate their fellow officer (even though it turns out that the patrolman is actually guilty of a lot more than possible drug use).
Still, this is a TV show, so it's understandable that the writers would take some liberties with a situation to make the story work, even if it was very far-fetched.
The scene with Sipowicz finding his car has been vandalized and then storming into the precinct demanding that the person responsible have the balls to face him is pure gold! We also find out that the new desk sergeant is a piece of work, and of course, Sipowicz has no problem throwing the guy's half-baked apology back in his face in the end.
Following standard protocol, the patrolman is asks to take a drug test. Now, where things get interesting is when Lt. Fancy asks Sipowicz and Simone if they want to tell the patrolman or if he should do it. Thus, the tension from downstairs (patrolmen) and upstairs (detectives) begins.
A lieutenant or captain is the officer in charge of the entire house, and after watching such shows such as Barney Miller (considered by most cops/ex-cops to be the most accurate depiction of a precinct house), I also took the liberty of asking a friend of mine, who is a retired police captain himself when I described the scenario.
Lt. Fancy should have handled the entire situation himself by bringing the patrolman upstairs, probably with his sergeant as well to inform him of why he needed to be tested and to explain the situation so that there wouldn't be any misunderstandings. Of course, that's not what happens, and you soon have Sipowicz and Simone squaring off against many of the patrol officers downstairs who feel that the detectives are trying to incriminate their fellow officer (even though it turns out that the patrolman is actually guilty of a lot more than possible drug use).
Still, this is a TV show, so it's understandable that the writers would take some liberties with a situation to make the story work, even if it was very far-fetched.
The scene with Sipowicz finding his car has been vandalized and then storming into the precinct demanding that the person responsible have the balls to face him is pure gold! We also find out that the new desk sergeant is a piece of work, and of course, Sipowicz has no problem throwing the guy's half-baked apology back in his face in the end.