Plot

Malloy is still in the process of training the rookie Reed. Before their shift the officers trade comments with two detectives. Reed inquires whether Malloy has considered moving from patrol to the detective squad. They receive a missing child call from a frantic mother but quickly find the boy under the house with a cat and her new litter. TJ, a recovering addict flags the officers down and tells them about a scuffle he heard at the hotel where he stays. They find a man stabbed and dead. Malloy teaches Reed the proper procedures to preserve the scene and calls the detectives who take over. Reed is hot to help but Malloy explains they their job is on patrol. An illegal parking call requires the officers to explain the proper signage required again. A domestic dispute tests their patience. Malloy spots a hot car resulting in a pursuit and arrest of two men with drugs. The excitement has Reed forgetting his angst over the murder investigation. They learn a relative sobered up and copped to the murder on his own.—Anonymous

Malloy teaches raw rookie Reed about the job that Detectives play when a murder scene must be secured and turned over. Reed learns to be content with his role and responsibilities in a uniformed radio car when they arrest fleeing fugitives.—cine_tigers

On Adam-12's current shift, Reed turns his thoughts largely to the role of the police detective, and how it seems to be more high profile and glamorous than that of the uniformed cop. His thoughts are spurred at the beginning of the shift when he and Malloy talk to two detectives at the station, but are ratcheted up a notch when they have to turn over a case to those said detectives, despite he and Malloy doing the initial legwork to uncover the fact of there even being a case. His thoughts are strengthened when they deal with a missing child call, a domestic disturbance, and a chronic caller who wants them to issue tickets to cars parked in his parking lot despite he not posting regulation parking signs, the process and outcome for each being somewhat mundane. It isn't until their last assignment of the shift - tailing a suspicious looking car - and meeting up with the detectives back at the station that Reed finally realizes that both the suits and uniforms play important but different roles in law enforcement.—Huggo

Reed and Malloy follow up on a lead which takes them to a murder. Reed is flustrated when they have to turn the case over to the detectives, but realizes later that their contribution to police work is just as important when they catch some criminals in the act.