Bagney and Stacey: Philadelphia’s Finest
By Todd Hicks
Copyright by Todd Hicks in May 2016
About The Book
This is a drama novel containing eleven episodes about two female police officers who serve on the Philadelphia force. After graduating from the police academy and having a rough start, they undergo better training and learn to protect and serve the community effectively and professionally.
You will have a reading experience similar to that of a television police drama. The characters in this book are fictional. Any similarity between them and any actual persons is purely coincidental.
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Sylvia Bagney just graduated from high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As she walked across the stage with a blue gown and a black cap containing a silver tassel on it to receive her diploma, many applauded. As she shook hands with the principal and was handed her diploma, her parents took a picture of her with their Polaroid camera.
“Congratulations, honey,” Sylvia’s mom told her.
“We’re proud of you,” her dad told her.
The family of three soon celebrated by going to a restaurant for dinner. Although Sylvia’s parents wanted her to attend college, she had no desire for it and did not apply for enrollment to any universities. Instead, she began attending a local police academy. There, she learned different police tactics, how to shoot, etc.
Soon after walking into a target shooting station, she put on hearing protectors and fired bullets into a large circular bull’s eye target several times.
Amazed at her accuracy, her instructor remarked, “Way to go! You have remarkable marksmanship.”
“Thank you,” she acknowledged him.
Next, she took a test shooting at cardboard targets that suddenly popped up. She did a great job deciding to shoot at targets bearing images of someone brandishing a weapon while refraining from shooting at targets bearing images of people who were not real threats. Other things Sylvia had to master included recognizing mentally ill suspects and realizing when to use deadly force.
She quickly got the hang of every form of training. During her midday lunch break, she went into the academy cafeteria to have lunch.
Just minutes after she began eating, fellow cadet Ebony Stacey (a black female) sat down at her table on the opposite end and told her, “I admire you. You’re excelling here.”
Sylvia responded, “Thank you. I think you’re coming along nicely too.”
She and Ebony quickly took a liking to each other and started forming a close friendship. Many weeks later, they graduated from the academy, were issued law enforcement licenses, took an oath to uphold the law and were hired as police officers by the Philadelphia police department. As Ebony arrived at the precinct on her first day on the job, she locked up her purse and a sandwich she brought in the locker room.
After going upstairs to the main part of the building, she was told, “Good afternoon, Ebony. It is customary for our officers to each work with a partner. Have you decided who you want to partner with?”
“I select Sylvia Bagney,” she replied.
Sylvia was then summoned into the precinct commander’s office.
Once she entered, she was told, “Meet your new partner.”
“This is great,” she remarked as she and Ebony hugged each other.
Soon afterwards, they walked out to a patrol car, with Sylvia getting into the front passenger seat and Ebony getting into the left rear passenger seat.
“As you ride along with me, you will learn what patrol officers deal with ordinarily,” Sergeant Tyrone Potts told them.
He then started driving along the nearby streets in the district. No trouble occurred in the vicinity at first. Seeing a man loitering at a small food mart twenty minutes later, Ty told his trainees to stay in the police cruiser then got out and confronted the loiterer.
“That sign above you says ‘No Loitering’. You’re under arrest,” Ty told him.
As he told the man to turn around and put his hands behind his back while getting ready to handcuff him, the lawbreaker threw a punch toward his left jaw. After ducking the blow, Ty knocked the man down with a hard left cross while holding onto his handcuffs.
The miscreant now faced charges of resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. After Ty called for backup and had another cop take the man into custody, he resumed giving Sylvia and Ebony a ride-along, arresting a teenage boy for public urination and foiling a fast food restaurant robbery in the process.
After the lady cops were dropped off at the precinct, Ebony said, “Although police work can be fun, it is obviously not routine.”
“I agree,” returned Sylvia.
The next day…
While patrolling the streets solo, Sylvia saw two young black men fighting on a sidewalk. After they shoved each other, they put up their dukes and squared off to engage in a serious tussle.
As Sylvia got out, she ran to the space between the combatants, stretched out her hands and warned, “Break it up.”
Refusing to comply, the man on Sylvia’s right side started to run around Sylvia while swearing to settle things with his opponent. As Sylvia grabbed him with her left arm, he knocked her down with a punch. As he advanced to strike again, Sylvia took her gun out of her holster with her right hand and shot him in the stomach.
As he clutched his stomach, Sylvia shot him in the upper left part of his chest causing him to fall back, with Sylvia firing again but missing the man. Within minutes, he was taken away by an ambulance.
Meanwhile…
While returning to the police station, Ebony saw a black girl and white girl walking in the middle of a two-lane road.
Pulling up toward them, Ebony shouted, “Get the f--- out of the road.”
“You don’t have to curse at us,” reciprocated the white girl.
“Don’t get smart with me,” reprimanded Ebony.
She drove on as the girls moved to the sidewalk. 17 minutes later, Ebony arrived at the precinct.
As she sat down at her desk which was in front of Sylvia’s desk, she noticed the cut on Sylvia’s lower lip and asked her, “What happened to you?”
“I was punched while breaking up a fight. What occurred on your patrol?” Sylvia asked.
“Other than a girl getting sassy with me for asking her and her pal to get off the street, my patrol was routine,” answered Ebony.
“Sylvia, Ebony, see me in my office now,” the captain ordered as she came into the lobby.