: How would one ask questions about the job of a rookie police officer? I'm writing a WIP novel with a rookie police officer. I'm concerned that the situation is incorrect / impractical / unbelievable:

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Most police departments (at least in the U.S.) will allow just about anyone to go on a "ride along". You may have to fill out a form and sign a waiver, and they'll typically check to make sure you aren't a violent felon or have outstanding warrants. But then you can sit next to an officer in the patrol car, and see what they actually do on a shift.

Some cops won't be very chatty, and some will talk your ear off. If you don't have a positive experience the first time, try a different shift, or a different department if possible. Culture can vary widely.

To address your specific questions, typically once an officer graduates the police academy, he or she will be in field training for a few months, where they and partnered with a more senior officer trained to teach new cops. After this period is over, then you would usually be by yourself. It's common for new officers to work at night, because people with seniority (and families) generally prefer day shifts.

But I'd strongly suggest contacting your local department for a ride along, and then you can be there for the fast driving and traffic stops and whatever else, while being able to ask your questions. Day shifts are typically less exciting, with more "paper" calls, like taking a report for a car that was broken into overnight. So more time to ask questions maybe. Night shifts are usually more exciting, with in progress calls. Some cops will let you come along while they go inside calls, some will ask you to wait in the car. It varies widely. But it's a good way to get these questions answered by a pro, regardless.

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Ask for an interview of the kind of person you want to portray.
You should probably tell them in advance what the interview will be used for.

There's a chance that a cop (or any other profession with responsibility for other people) would rather talk about his/her first experiences for a fictional piece than for an article about the profession.

Most people "know" that fiction is not necessarily accurate, and therefore; any feelings of doubt, neglect, lack of training that person may have had will appear more acceptable than if if it was, for instance, an article about "What it's like for new police officers in Nevada"...

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One of the best ways to find out how a "professional" in a job feels is to talk to someone who actually is doing that job.

So volunteer for the local police department, and then let word "get out" about your project. Probably someone will be thrilled to tell you about their first time on the night shift, or similar experiences that they might have had. And then how they dealt with "others" afterward, perhaps higher-ups. That's how you lend "authenticity" to your prose.

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