North America Gunman Detective

"Jimmy, I know you haven't been through police training, but you're very smart, and you need to make yourself look more professional as soon as possible. Pay attention to observation, how much difference is there between the equipment you're carrying and mine?"

Jimmy scratched his head a bit, police equipment training was uniformly provided during police academy, and relying solely on his prior observations, he indeed had several areas of deficiency.

On the left breast pocket, there was a pen, a handcuff key, a small notepad, a walkie-talkie microphone at the chest, and a walkie-talkie earpiece hanging from the collar, not yet connected to the walkie-talkie. On the duty belt, there was an addition of pepper spray, a flashlight, and only one pair of handcuffs. On the right leg, there was a thigh holster, also with a gun in it.

Jimmy listed these differences, Noah nodded, then shook his head, "You missed one, bullet-proof vest." Noah unzipped his jacket, revealing a soft bullet-proof vest, "Your biggest problem is not wearing a bullet-proof vest. This is the United States; we encounter various situations daily, and the bullet-proof vest is our most important protective gear. Go get one when you return."

"You've been doing AP for a few months now; I won't mention law and first aid, as you should understand them. What you need most right now is to brush up on firearms usage and driving skills. James has already spoken to me; you'll patrol with me, but you must spend two hours at the shooting range every day practicing firearms. Then, an extra hour of driving each day starting a week from now. You need to buy a car."

Noah opened the police car trunk, unfolded two bags, inside were various official forms and equipment. "Here are the tickets we need daily; as for the contents, you'll understand them later on your own. First, take a look at this side, a shotgun and an M16 carbine, choose one. Remember to pick it up next time; I brought it for you in advance today. I suggest you use the shotgun."

Noah introduced various equipment, including a tire deflator, closed the trunk, and walked back to the driver's seat of the police car. "I'll take you on patrol first, and then we'll head to the Hunter's Bear Shooting Range in the afternoon."

"Okay. Thanks, Noah."

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

"Jimmy, do you think all these things are unnecessary? You might not know, but three years ago in Los Angeles, there was a bank robbery. Two robbers faced off against more than 300 police officers. The fight lasted over 40 minutes before they were killed. Twelve officers were injured, innumerable police cars damaged. Those two robbers used automatic rifles and wore heavy bullet-proof vests. Since then, we've started to significantly upgrade our firepower and bullet-proof vests. Against criminals wearing bullet-proof vests, our pistols are completely outclassed. That's when we need to use carbines and shotguns, and bullet-proof vests can greatly reduce casualties. Make sure you remember what I'm saying; it could save your life."

"Being a police officer is a dangerous job. In the United States, dozens of officers die in shootings each year; no one can guarantee they won't be one of the unlucky ones. So you must make sure to grab a bullet-proof vest before you go on duty. Now it's winter, so you can wear it inside, but in summer, it needs to be worn outside. You can't take it off while on duty, no matter how hot it gets. These aren't regulations, but they could save your life."

As Noah explained, he drove and patrolled, also waiting for radio contact.

"Adam47, convenience store robbery, 1106 Fairpark Avenue. The caller states the robber has fled."

"Adam47 received."

Noah activated the police lights and siren, rushing to the convenience store. Jimmy felt a sense of familiarity upon hearing the address; it wasn't until they arrived that he realized it was the same convenience store he had been to on his first day. Is the owner that unlucky?

The two walked into the convenience store; Noah asked about the robbery and losses while Jimmy listened attentively, learning how to inquire about the case.

At the end, Jimmy casually asked, "Are there any stores nearby with surveillance systems installed?"

"No, nobody's willing to spend the money for that," the convenience store owner said.

After leaving the convenience store and getting back into the police car, Jimmy pondered the problem. The biggest difference coming from 20 years in the future was the everyday use of civilian technology. In 2022, what shop wouldn't have a surveillance system? Many even used cloud surveillance to save on the cost of configuring their servers.

In the year 2000, surveillance was mainly used by large businesses and for police purposes, such as large hotels, banks, government buildings, traffic cameras, etc. For private small shop owners, it was better to do less than more.

In the course of the morning, they patrolled and dealt with some minor issues, no chases, no arrests, not even a fight. It felt oddly serene to Noah, as if perfectly tailored for Jimmy's case study opportunities.

Fun fact, the crime rate in American cities began to rise in the 1960s, peaked in the 1980s, declined in the 1990s, reaching its lowest point in 2019. It rose again during the COVID period and has not yet decreased.

In the afternoon, Noah took Jimmy to the Hunter's Bear Shooting Range, a shooting range cooperated with by the county police, where officers frequently practiced firearms usage. Despite the news usually showing American police emptying their magazines without fatally wounding a criminal, as if their marksmanship was poor, in reality, officers were very serious about firearms training. Each knew their own shooting skills and would try their best to make time for practice. Another point was that police co-operative shooting ranges provided a certain amount of free ammunition for each officer, reimbursed by the department, and additional ammo was afforded at a discount, much cheaper than buying it individually. Of course, this is not the practice everywhere; some department co-operative ranges might only offer a little discount.

Noah got Jimmy several training guns to try out, starting with a Beretta 92F, the same model currently issued by the police department. Noah didn't let Jimmy use his own service weapon but one provided by the shooting range, a 15-round double-stack magazine, very convenient for continuous use. He instructed Jimmy on how to quickly draw the gun from the holster, shooting with one hand, both hands, where the safety was, loading, etc. The key was to avoid the "Golden Finger." Novice gun users most commonly make two mistakes that endanger others: a Golden Finger, which means a finger on the trigger when not shooting. The correct practice is to rest the finger on the frame outside the trigger to prevent accidental firing. The second mistake is not properly clearing an unfired bullet from the chamber. When not shooting, don't point a gun at people and always be aware of your surroundings, keeping the gun pointed where there are no people.

Jimmy fired two magazines and then moved on to the next model, a Springfield M1911, a 7-round mag. He fired two magazines with that one as well, and his hands were beginning to ache, a considerable amount of shooting for a first-time shooter.