Help needed, procedure question

[Dreamfire]

Hi Y'all ( My attempt at a US accent!)

I am enjoying writing a little fan fic but need a hand understading what is Lt Fisk's procedure for handing out the cases?
I have not seen all the eps and really only get that the 4 detectives seem to take it in turns who heads up the case. But then does he brief the whole team? Just the two partners? Whoever is around? Does he hand over a file, Or is there no info yet just a Body? Is everyone refered to as a DOA? All I seemed to have heard is a body and a place really. I cannot refer back to much more than memory and your wonderful recaps.
All input, however tiny would be valuable to me ;D
PS Anyone who knows about US proceudures ( from real life, other cop shows etc. would also help.

Thankyou in advance

Natascha

[mlm828]

I think the cases are assigned by some kind of rotation. In "Rub a Tub Tub" (which I don't think you've seen yet), Fisk comes out of his office after getting a call about a new case and asks, "Who's up?" Karen says that she is. Later in the episode, Fisk says, "It's Bettancourt's case."

The person whose case it is would then be the "lead" detective who runs the investigation. In the show, however, it seems that the whole squad works all of the cases. They all go to the scene after the initial call, and then all of them work on the case, although the two pairs of detectives generally work on different aspects, for example, interviewing different witnesses, and so forth.

When the call first comes in, Fisk usually doesn't have a file. Sometimes he gives one of the detectives a slip of paper with the address of the scene.

As far as I can recall, they generally refer to a deceased victim as a "DOA," unless they are referring to the person by name.

I hope this helps. If you have any specific procedural questions, please feel free to ask.

[greenbeing]

mlm828 said:

As far as I can recall, they generally refer to a deceased victim as a "DOA," unless they are referring to the person by name.

When it comes to procedural stuff, I just follow BJ lingo and then make it up--if I'm wrong, Mags or someone is always kind enough to let me know But there's a lot of procedural things I've never quite understood, either. Such as, I'd assume being a detective is not a nine to five job--people do occasionally die around dinner time, or worse yet, at bedtime. Yet the department is completely empty the morning Jim comes up to map it out. Also, do they get weekends, do they keep working every day until a case is solved; assuming the overtime comes in handy when working on a case and interviewing people, as they can't just leave in the middle of a lead.

Anyway, as homicide detective, most of the victims--

--train of thought derailment--bear with me--Jim's a homicide detective, right? So what's he doing working a child custody case at all? Perhaps there are different degrees of detectives, and homicide is on top? So when Ty went to the deputy mayor, they just got the best of the best? It's all very fortuitous that Ty Largent was killed later, making it a case of homicide...

But anyway, back on track, as a homicide detective, I'd guess most of the time the victims are DOA. BUT--as above, if there was a tough case, where someone had just been attacked and nearly murdered... Would they put the detectives on that case? If the person died later, then they would become a homicide victim. But yeah, I'd guess most of them, as we saw, would already be DOA.

As to how the cops chain of command goes and who calls Fisk with the info, I dunno. So many questions I try not to think about! Does anyone know the heirarchy of the police department? That might be a good place to start.

--GB

[dogma]

i do know someone who knows homicide,, my sister in law retired as the first female commander on the police force,, ( very impressive,, made the news,, papers,,etc )
but we dont' really talk much,, maybe someday i'll see them ( they are a few hrs away) she was a homicide detective ,, you would see her on the early news going into crime scenes,, carrying her finger print case,,
maybe i'll drop her a howdy do email and just idly inquire,, i'll let you know what i find out,,

[mlm828]

greenbeing said:

When it comes to procedural stuff, I just follow BJ lingo and then make it up--

Me, too -- unless there's something so obviously wrong that I can't stand it.

greenbeing said:

But there's a lot of procedural things I've never quite understood, either. Such as, I'd assume being a detective is not a nine to five job--people do occasionally die around dinner time, or worse yet, at bedtime. Yet the department is completely empty the morning Jim comes up to map it out. Also, do they get weekends, do they keep working every day until a case is solved; assuming the overtime comes in handy when working on a case and interviewing people, as they can't just leave in the middle of a lead.

I've wondered about this, too, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. One possible answer is simply that it's a TV show, and they need to have the detectives working during the day and going home at the end of the work day so that other things can happen, such as Jim's sessions with Galloway, his interactions with Christie at home, the dinner party in "Four Feet Under," and going to the sports bar after work in "In your Face." Usually, when they leave, the investigation seems to be in a place where they don't need to keep going and can pick things up in the morning. The only explanation I can come up with for why the squad room was empty when Jim was mapping it out is that it had to be empty for the scene to work. However, it seems unlikely that a NYC police precinct wouldn't have detective coverage 24/7.

greenbeing said:

Anyway, as homicide detective, most of the victims--

--train of thought derailment--bear with me--Jim's a homicide detective, right? So what's he doing working a child custody case at all? Perhaps there are different degrees of detectives, and homicide is on top? So when Ty went to the deputy mayor, they just got the best of the best? It's all very fortuitous that Ty Largent was killed later, making it a case of homicide...

I thought they were assigned the custody case because Largent was a friend of the deputy mayor. But this doesn't explain why they were investigating the rapes/slashings in "Marlon's Brando" -- I thought sex crimes were usually investigated (at least in large cities) by detectives specializing in that type of crime. Again, I think the answer is, "It's a TV show," and having Jim investigate those cases was necessary for dramatic reasons.

[maggiethecat]

mlm828 said:

I've wondered about this, too, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. One possible answer is simply that it's a TV show, and they need to have the detectives working during the day and going home at the end of the work day so that other things can happen, such as Jim's sessions with Galloway, his interactions with Christie at home, the dinner party in "Four Feet Under," and going to the sports bar after work in "In your Face." However, it seems unlikely that a NYC police precinct wouldn't have detective coverage 24/7.

You can find just about anything you'd want to know about how the NYPD works in a book called Blue Blood by Edward Conlon -- fourth generation NYPD, a Gold Shield detective in the Bronx, a Harvard grad, and a very good writer. When he finally admitted to his co-workers that he was writer, one of them just looked at him and said, "Oh. So that's why you type like a son of a bitch." Very cool book.

The day is split into three shifts: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. to midnight, and midnight to 8:00 a.m. The night shift is usually very busy, which is why Jim memorizing an empty squad room, while a wonderfully satisfying scene, is pure invention. If you were working the 8 to 4, you wouldn't necessarily leave right at 4 if you had paperwork to generate, someone to take to central booking, loose ends to tie up, etc., which I guess is why we often saw the tecs of the Eighth still there after dark.

As best as I understand it, if a sex crime is part of a homicide, you might work in tandem with a Sexual Victims unit, or with the Narcotics squad if drugs were involved. All that stuff is in the book. But the variety of cases in Blind Justice probably has more to do with the writers wanting to keep it interesting than anything else.

By the way, this book is also where I came across something called The Canine Waste Disposal Law. The blind are exempt from cleaning up after their guide dogs, which is why, thank God! we never saw Jim down on his hands and knees with a plastic bag . . .

[Dreamfire]

Thanks everyone for your help, - no I have not seen Rub a Dub Tub yet, but I am awaiting the arrival of DVD's from a wonderful board member after a couple of PM's. Oh am I gonna have a Jim feast!

I think I will go with the each one takes a turn leading, Fisk just has a crime scene to send them to and the lead detective decides which team ( M/T or J/K) follows which leads to start.

It would seem that after that they run their own way as long as they check in and all share the info?
As for times, thanks to whomever gave the shifts etc. This is helpful,

Cheers

Natascha

[Dreamfire]

maggiethecat said:

mlm828 said:

By the way, this book is also where I came across something called The Canine Waste Disposal Law. The blind are exempt from cleaning up after their guide dogs, which is why, thank God! we never saw Jim down on his hands and knees with a plastic bag . . .

Thanks Maggie, Yes I had also assumed this was the case, beacuse really, it is just too gross to consider, and there cannot be that many Guide Dogs around.

[carl1951]

Nor was Dunbar seen using a Pooper Scooper.

Later, Carl

[Dreamfire]

Hi Y'all, I am trying to put together a map of the squad so I don;t mess up in my fanfic, I am really confused,
ANyone here geographically gifted and can explain the layout to me?

Natascha

[anna]

ashatan said:

Hi Y'all, I am trying to put together a map of the squad so I don;t mess up in my fanfic, I am really confused,
ANyone here geographically gifted and can explain the layout to me?

Natascha

There is a detailed description of the squad here:

www.weseetv.com/pages/blindJustice.php

[bjobsessed]

ashatan said:

Hi Y'all, I am trying to put together a map of the squad so I don;t mess up in my fanfic, I am really confused,
ANyone here geographically gifted and can explain the layout to me?

Natascha

I think it's www.weseetv.com/pages/blindJustice.php that has a description of the sqadroom. (if it's still there). If not I can email it to you.

Edited to add: It's still there. Above is the link that will take you directly to Blind Justice. Hope it helps.

Edited again to add: Sorry anna. I don't know how, but I missed your post. Opps! My bad!

[anna]

BJ - just two great minds - or at least two Blind-Justice-obsessed minds - thinking alike!

[Dreamfire]

Thankyou, this will help heaps.
I need to print it now and draw myself a piccy!

[greenbeing]

maggiethecat said:

mlm828 said:

I've wondered about this, too, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. One possible answer is simply that it's a TV show, and they need to have the detectives working during the day and going home at the end of the work day so that other things can happen, such as Jim's sessions with Galloway, his interactions with Christie at home, the dinner party in "Four Feet Under," and going to the sports bar after work in "In your Face." However, it seems unlikely that a NYC police precinct wouldn't have detective coverage 24/7.

The day is split into three shifts: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. to midnight, and midnight to 8:00 a.m. The night shift is usually very busy, which is why Jim memorizing an empty squad room, while a wonderfully satisfying scene, is pure invention. If you were working the 8 to 4, you wouldn't necessarily leave right at 4 if you had paperwork to generate, someone to take to central booking, loose ends to tie up, etc., which I guess is why we often saw the tecs of the Eighth still there after dark.

I just noticed the sign in the background of this screencap.



24/7, huh? Except for the one hour Jim's second day back to work when everyone went out to grab breakfast...

--GB