Chapter 16: A Fatal Mistake

“Jimmy, I know you haven’t gone through police training, but you’re very smart. You need to make yourself look more professional as soon as possible. Pay attention—compare the gear you have on with mine. How many differences do you notice?”

Jimmy scratched his head. Police equipment and uniform standards are taught uniformly during police academy training; relying solely on his previous observations, he was still missing quite a bit.

On the left chest pocket, there was a pen, a handcuff key, and a small notebook. On the chest, there was a microphone for the radio, and on the collar hung the radio earpiece, though it wasn’t yet connected. On the duty belt, there was an added pepper spray and a flashlight, but only one pair of handcuffs. On the right thigh, there was a leg holster holding a gun.

Jimmy listed these differences, and Noah first nodded, then shook his head. “You missed one: the bulletproof vest.” Noah unbuttoned his jacket, revealing a soft bulletproof vest underneath. “Your biggest problem is that you’re not wearing a bulletproof vest. This is America—we face all kinds of situations every day. The bulletproof vest is our most crucial protective gear. Go get one when you get back.”

“You’ve been doing AP duty for a few months now, so I won’t go into law or first aid; you should be familiar with those. What you need most now is to brush up on firearms handling and driving skills. James already told me—you’ll be patrolling with me, but you need to spend two hours daily at the shooting range practicing firearms, and starting next week, add an extra hour daily for driving practice. You’ll need to buy a car.”

Noah opened the trunk of the patrol car and took out two bags filled with various standard forms and equipment. “Here are the tickets we use daily; you can review the details later. Look here—shotgun and M16 carbine, pick one. Remember to collect it next time; I brought it for you today in advance. I recommend the shotgun.”

Noah continued explaining various equipment, including spike strips, then closed the trunk and walked back to the driver’s seat of the patrol car. “I’ll take you on patrol first, then this afternoon, we’ll go to the Hunter’s Shooting Range.”

“Okay. Thanks, Noah.”

Noah started the patrol car, turned on the onboard radio, connected to the police network, and began patrolling.

“Jimmy, do you think these things are unnecessary? You might not know this, but three years ago, there was a bank robbery in Los Angeles. Two robbers faced over 300 police officers, and the fight lasted more than 40 minutes before they were shot dead. Twelve officers were injured, countless patrol cars damaged. The robbers used automatic rifles and wore heavy bulletproof vests. Since then, we’ve been upgrading our firepower and armor. Against robbers wearing bulletproof vests, our pistols are completely ineffective. That’s when carbines and shotguns come in. The vests minimize casualties. Remember what I’m telling you—it could save your life.”

“Police work is dangerous. Every year, dozens of officers nationwide die in shootouts. No one can guarantee they won’t be among the unlucky ones. So always make sure to wear a bulletproof vest before heading out. In winter, wear it underneath your clothes; in summer, wear it outside. Never take it off on duty, no matter how hot it is. These aren’t regulations, but they save lives.”

As Noah explained, he drove on patrol, waiting for a call on the radio.

“Adam47, convenience store robbery at 1106 Fairpark Avenue. Caller reports suspect fled.”

“Adam47 copy that.”

Noah turned on the siren and lights and headed to the convenience store. When Jimmy heard the address, it sounded familiar. When they arrived, he realized it was the same store he had gone to on his first day. Poor guy, the owner seemed to have bad luck.

They got out of the car and entered the store. Noah questioned the owner about the robbery and losses, while Jimmy listened carefully, learning how to interview witnesses.

When they finished, Jimmy casually asked, “Are there any stores nearby with surveillance cameras?”

“No, no one wants to spend the money,” the store owner replied.

Back in the patrol car, Jimmy pondered this. The biggest difference from 20 years in the future was the use of civilian technology in daily life. In 2022, what store doesn’t have surveillance? Many even use cloud-based systems, saving the cost of running their own servers.

But in 2000, surveillance was mainly for large businesses and police use—like big hotels, banks, government buildings, and traffic cameras. For small private shop owners, it was often seen as more trouble than it was worth.

They spent the entire morning patrolling and handling minor issues—no chases, no arrests, not even a fight. Noah found it a bit strange, as if the day was arranged just to give Jimmy a chance to learn casework.

A little background: urban crime rates in the U.S. rose starting in the 1960s, peaked in the 1980s, declined through the 1990s, reached a low in 2019, then rose again during the COVID-19 period and have yet to fall.

In the afternoon, Noah took Jimmy to the Hunter’s Shooting Range, a cooperative range used by county police. Officers must regularly practice firearms. Though news often portrays police firing dozens of rounds without hitting a suspect, in reality, officers take their shooting skills seriously and make time to train. The range provides a quota of free bullets reimbursed by the department, and discounted prices on extra ammo—much cheaper than buying on their own. Not all departments do this; some only offer small discounts.

Noah had Jimmy try several training guns. First was the Beretta 92F, the current standard issue. Noah didn’t let Jimmy use his own pistol but the range’s training gun, with a 15-round double-stack magazine—ideal for police, offering sustained firepower.

Noah taught Jimmy how to quickly draw from the holster, single- and two-handed grip, safety mechanisms, loading, and most importantly, avoiding trigger discipline mistakes. New shooters often make two dangerous errors: first, “riding the trigger,” or resting the finger on the trigger when not shooting. The correct method is to keep the finger alongside the frame to prevent accidental discharge. Second, clearing the chamber of unfired rounds. Never point the gun at anyone when not firing, stay aware of the surroundings, and always point the muzzle in a safe direction.

Jimmy fired through two magazines before switching to the M1911, a Springfield model with a seven-round magazine. He shot two magazines of that as well and was already feeling some soreness—quite a bit of shooting for a first-timer.