The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 133 Party
Although it was my turn to work the night shift, it was still the same briefing room.

There was no difference in the number of people compared to the daytime.

Eric arrived a little late, as usual.

Entering through the back door, the briefing room was already filled with patrol officers.

The familiar noise was still there, even more lively than during the day.

After all, tonight is my first night shift in a long time.

Eric instinctively glanced at the newlyweds sitting in the front row.

All the newlyweds were present, including Annie.

"Not bad, at least they all came!"

Eric nodded to Will and the others who had greeted him, and went to sit down at his window seat.

But what Eric didn't know was that just as he looked away, Annie heard the noise behind her and turned around to look at him.

"Did you hear that, Annie?"

Lucy's voice rang out as she sat next to her, causing Annie to look away and subconsciously reply.

"What did you hear?"

Lucy watched Annie's movements and quickly glanced at Eric, who was talking to her instructor and several other officers behind her.

Then, looking at Annie, who looked completely bewildered, he sighed inwardly.

"Oh dear, this silly girl is hopeless, caught in unrequited love!"

As a close friend from the same cohort, Lucy could easily see what Annie's subtle actions meant. However, in her opinion, Annie might not even know what her current situation was like.

Annie asked in confusion, "So what were you talking about just now?"

Lucy said helplessly, "I think tonight might be even more exciting than during the day."

Annie subconsciously recalled Eric's words last night, telling her to prepare herself mentally, and nodded, "So I was mentally prepared before I came."

Lucy said, "Okay, it's good that you're ready."

As she was speaking, she wanted to say something more, but because of her position, she suddenly noticed that Daves, who was ice-cold all over, had appeared at the door at some point.

She immediately shut her mouth, quickly gave Annie a wink, and then sat up straight herself.

Before Annie could react, Daves's rather serious voice suddenly rang out.

"Quiet!"

The voice, like a command, caused a domino effect in the previously noisy briefing room, quickly silencing everyone from near to far, with all eyes focused on Daves standing at the door.

Seeing this, Daves strode into the room, facing the many eyes on him, and walked to the front desk to confront the police officers. He placed his hands heavily on the conference table, his eyes scanning everyone present with piercing gaze.

“Very good, not a single person backed down tonight!” Daves nodded in satisfaction.

"Tonight, we officially begin this long night shift journey. This is not an easy stroll, but a tough battle against the darkness."

During the day, criminals may have some reservations, but at night, darkness becomes their camouflage and the perfect opportunity to commit crimes. Theft, robbery, burglary—these shady dealings become more active.

These words immediately created a sense of pressure and tension among the newcomers, except for those who had worked the night shift.

Daves seemed to sense the nervousness of the new recruits and officers on their first night shift, and softened his tone.

"Therefore, new recruits must always be on high alert and listen carefully to the instructions of your training instructors. Each of them has a wealth of experience and can make the right judgments in the most dangerous moments."

Remember, on this street, even half a second of hesitation could cost you your life.

The newlyweds, their faces tense, answered in unison, "Yes, sir!" In the back row, Will looked at Eric and Weston and grumbled, "In the end, we're still the ones bearing the brunt of life's burdens."

Eric just smiled and said, "You'll get used to it."

Will shrugged.

"Next is a question I haven't answered yet: the convenience store robbery," Daves continued after finishing his routine lecture to the new recruits.

As soon as he said that, all the patrol officers began to stir.

“I’ve already inquired,” Will whispered from behind.

"Two guys specialize in robbing convenience stores that are still open late at night. They are said to have rifles and killed a store clerk last night."

"Guys, these are turbulent times, be careful."

Eric frowned subconsciously, nodded, and looked at Daves. Robbery was one thing, but shooting and killing someone during the robbery made it a serious case.

Daves added more details to Will's work.

For example, at 3 a.m. last night, surveillance footage from the convenience store where the incident occurred showed two masked suspects firing shots at people inside before quickly driving away.

Although the suspect's face was not seen, they did know what kind of car the suspect was driving, including the license plate.

"Toyota Corolla, California license plate, license plate number 4Pwf985. According to intelligence released by the detective department, this car was stolen by the suspect and is usually active between 2 and 4 a.m."

Daves said calmly, "But in any case, we'll keep a close eye on this car during our patrols tonight, especially around convenience stores and ATMs."

"Remember, safety first, mission second!"

The crowd replied, "Yes, sir!"

In addition to explaining the matter, Daves also arranged and deployed some patrol routes, such as which areas were key areas and which neighborhoods had seen a 20% surge in burglaries.

Eric listened attentively, and a very clear concept formed in his mind.

"If you encounter any emergencies or problems, feel free to contact me anytime. My phone is on 24/7, and I will get to the scene as soon as possible," Daves said, putting away his documents and looking at the crowd below the stage.

"Now, does anyone have any other questions? Or anything they'd like to say?"

The patrol officers shook their heads; Daves had been specific enough, covering almost all the issues.

Upon seeing this, Daves calmly said, "Same as always, check your equipment and make sure your walkie-talkies, flashlights, weapons, etc. are all in good working order."

"Remember our department's night shift rules: report by radio every three hours. Report any suspicious activity immediately. Control your caffeine intake, but don't doze off in the patrol car."

Everyone nodded: "Yes, sir!"

Daves's gaze swept over everyone, but paused when it fell on Eric, before he finally spoke seriously:

"May God bless you."

After saying that, he picked up the documents and left the spot, heading towards the door.

As Daves left, a commotion began to rise in the briefing room, with some patrol officers getting up one after another.

"All right."

Will immediately stood up, gave a wink to Jonah, the new recruit he was in charge of, and then turned to Eric, Weston, Darren, and the others.

"Guys, remember to keep in touch. I'm off now, see you later."

“Hmm,” Eric replied.

(End of this chapter)