In Your Rookie Year

Chapter One

The Recruiting Project

Nicky Reagan was now perched in the living room sofa of Grandpa Frank's living room with a glass of red wine in her hand, feeling every bit the NYPD royalty that she, for all practical purposes, was.

Her project was to be inaugurated by the six o'clock news. It had been a collaborative effort by the Communications Department of Columbia University, John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Public Relations department of the NYPD. Nicky couldn't claim credit for it all, in fact her grandpa had toyed with a project like this a few years ago, only to see it get mired down in some unknowable bog of leucocratic red tape and budgeting.

But now the idea was back. With funding. With collaboration. And with Nicky Reagan a key contact in coordinating the project.

"Grandpa! Mom! It's on!" Nicky called. Frank and Erin quickly stepped in. Henry was already perched on the sofa. The commercial began.

"Hello. I'm Sergeant Erasmus Visser. I graduated the New York City Police Academy in 2007"

The NYPD was putting forth an exciting recruitment strategy, filming all sorts of NYPD personal reciting the story of the most exciting or inspiring thing that happened to them in their rookie/ probationary year of service.

"On March 17th, 2008, my partner and I were operating an anti- drunk driving checkpoint near the entrance to the Henry Hudson Parkway."

Each 30 second commercial featured a uniformed cop addressing the camera in front a backdrop of one New York monument or another. Sgt Visser's slot had the Brooklyn Bridge looming behind him.

"One driver was pulled over for suspicion of drunk driving. When he failed a Field Sobriety Test he was placed under arrest. Back at the precinct, we checked him for outstanding warrants. David Matthew Stovall was wanted for a series of sexual assaults in Virginia."

Each story was intercut with relevant photos and videos, such as a drunk driving checkpoint, police cars, a younger rookie photo of the speaking officer, and a picture of any relevant criminals involved in the story.

"In my rookie year with the NYPD, my partner and I helped bring a dangerous sexual predator to justice."

The effort was well crafted and ambitious enough to even get the police commissioner to get over his stage fright and give a cameo in every commercial. The fact that the project coordinator was his granddaughter possibly made things smoother, but the collected stories were impressive enough.

"I'm Commissioner Frank Reagan. Join the NYPD, and see what happens in Your Rookie Year"

Frank Reagan, impeccably dressed in a finely pressed suit, sat at his large desk in his office in the fourteenth floor of One Police Plaza, and smiled as he invited all qualified men and women to apply to become New York police officers. The commercial ended with the shield of the NYPD dominating the screen with the correct webpage for the interested to log onto displayed.

A knock at the door brought in Jamie and Eddie, arms laden with pizza. The whole Reagan coterie wasn't going to be here tonight, just some of them. Jamie and Eddie, not living far from Bay Ridge at Brooklyn Heights, could make the trip without too much trouble.

"Did we miss it?" Eddie demanded, peeking over Jamie's shoulder.

"Yesss" Nicky answered a little sourly.

"Next time I drive" Eddie snarled softly at Jamie.

"Sorry!" Jamie called over his shoulder, depositing his pizzas on the kitchen table. What followed was a minor free-for all, as Erin, Frank, Nicky, Jamie and Eddie seized slices to take back to the living room. Eddie, eager to provide for her soon-to-be-grandfather in law, made sure to bring Henry's favorite type over to him. All then raided the fridge for their favorite adult beverages.

"So" Eddie asked "anyone we know in the first commercial?"

"Sergeant Erasmus Visser" Nicky supplied. "Caught a sex maniac at a drunk driving checkpoint on a St. Patties Day"

The six perched on the seats and sofas and chowed on pizza, and watched the news – more interested in the commercial slots than for the news stories. After that was the Rangers / Flyers game. Eddie was still undecided whether or not to out herself as a Flyers fan, but figured that'd be a revelation best saved for after the honeymoon.

Soon after the news came the second ad.

"Hello. I'm Officer Candice Newcomb. I graduated the New York City Police Academy in 2013.

"A week before Christmas 2013, my partner and I were patrolling the Queens Center Mall. The place was packed, with lots of kids waiting in line to see Santa Claus – at the same place I used to see Santa Claus when I was a little girl.

"We heard a scream from the food court, and when we ran over we saw that a four year old girl was choking on her chicken sandwich piece.

"I was a little bit closer to the girl, so I grabbed her, pulled her from her seat, and successfully performed the Heimlich Maneuver, while my partner radioed for an ambulance. The girl's name was Caroline. She pulled through!

"In my rookie year with the NYPD, I helped save a little girl's life.

"I'm Commissioner Frank Reagan. Join the NYPD, and see what happens in Your Rookie Year"

"That's some powerful stuff." Jamie Reagan "Great work Nicky. And dad"

Erin's appreciation was qualified. "It's good work. If you've got to romanticize the job, it's best to romanticize it well."

Nicky shot her mother a dark look, but before she could say anything Jamie jumped in with the sarcasm. "Well not all the testimonials are romantic. Mine goes like 'Hi, I'm Sergeant Jameson Reagan. My rookie year I had to babysit the body of a dead old woman. We call them 'stinkers' on the job. The smell was awful, and her cats had eaten her face off. My rookie year with the NYPD, I burned a uniform and helped animal control euthanize some cats'. Cue dad. I can't wait until it airs."

Nicky and Eddie howled with laughter, while Erin rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me! Eating!" Henry protested, holding up his slice in demonstration.

The game started, Philadelphia Flyers versus the New York Rangers at The Garden. When the Rangers went up 2-0 in the first period, Eddie hoped that nobody noticed that she was the only one not cheering.

By the third commercial break in the first period …

"Hello. I'm Detective Abigail Baker. I graduated from the New York City Police Academy in 2000.

"In that year, there were a lot of push-in robberies in the Bronx. The victims were typically senior citizens who had no chance of defending themselves.

"On March 7th 2001, my patrol sergeant and I received a call for a burglar forcing his way into someone's home. A concerned citizen had called 911. Both my partner and I and our backup arrived at the same time, and we had enough officers to trap the burglar in the house. He didn't even suspect anything was wrong until he was making his exit. He was immediately taken into custody without incident. The weapon he used was found to be linked to several unsolved homicides in the neighborhood."

"In my rookie year with the NYPD me and three other officers stopped a crime spree, and helped get a prowler and a murderer off the streets."

"I'm Commissioner Frank Reagan. Join the NYPD, and see what happens in Your Rookie Year."

" Gotta say" Nicky gloated "It's not getting old yet."