Pauline Reed

''“Well, I’m not one to complain, and I’m sure the captain is doing the best he can. . . all things considered.”''

Background
Pauline has the greatest seniority of anyone in the 13th Precinct other than the captain and Sid Routman (who harbors no political ambitions). She also strongly believes that she should be the next captain and is in fact incensed that the current captain was promoted over her. She is convinced that this is either because she is white or because she is a woman. To the extent that discrimination plays any part in Pauline being passed over, it is because of the mistaken belief in some quarters that she is a lesbian. In fact, Pauline is heterosexual but has a near-phobia of sexual relations due to her being date-raped by a fellow police academy cadet named Stephen Carter more than 20 years ago. Pauline never reported the incident because Carter was related to the then police chief, and she was afraid that by bringing charges against him she might hurt her career ambitions. Carter was shot and killed six years later, and a 17-year-old Latino suspected of gang connections was arrested and convicted of the shooting. If Pauline ever felt any guilt over murdering her rapist and sending an innocent boy to the electric chair for her crimes, she has never shown it. The real reason that Pauline was passed over for the captain’s bars was simple patronage — the current captain was a fraternity brother of one of the mayor’s major campaign backers.

Description
Pauline is an attractive woman in her mid-40s. She prefers pantsuits to dresses but still maintains her femininity. She is in excellent shape and jogs regularly. She maintains professional and cordial relations with her fellow officers but gets along with the women somewhat better than the men. She goes to great lengths to cover up her personal dislike for the captain of the 13th Precinct.

Pauline is a capable and efficient police officer with 18 years’ experience in the Robbery Division. As such, she can be an excellent mentor to detectives and even patrol officers who aspire to detective rank. She bonds more easily with women than with men, and a male officer who seeks to gain her trust should keep the relationship on a strictly professional basis, as she will instantly grow cold to any male co-worker who makes romantic overtures.