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Apprehensions presumably go on the record of the “lead” officer. In an environment where the negatives can quickly add up – especially for an overly aggressive cop like Herc – getting credit for the good things is supremely important.

Obviously this is good for Herc, but what about Carver? As you can see, this practice has the potential to cause tension when collaborating on arrests.

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“Collar” is cop lingo for arrest.

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It’s war on the streets
and a war in the Middle East
Instead of war on poverty
They got a war on drugs
so the police can bother me

-Tupac Shakur

One of the most ironic things about the War on Drugs is it’s focus on petty dealers and users. None exemplified this so well as Ronald Reagan. While he was busy cracking down on the users and street dealers, he was also overseeing a huge clandestine operation to help the Latin American Contra smuggle vast amounts of cocaine into the U.S. in order to raise terrorist funds.

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The beauty of this line is its context in the scene. As he says this, Phelan is rummaging through a tub of medication. This ironically displays the myriad physical frailties of such a politically powerful man as Phelan.

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On the surface, this is nothing more than playful banter between two old friends, but it’s never that simple with The Wire…this is truly an insightful bit of commentary on the bureaucratic power structure.

For most of this season, Phelan is literally the head honcho in the Baltimore political arena. Phelan has the Deputy Ops/Police Commissioner falling over himself to appease him later in the season. In other words, this is a man who wields considerable power, yet he looks down condescendingly on McNulty’s emotional attachment to the case.

Phelan stands as an example for the type of people who tend to climb the highest ranks, while people like McNulty are forced out early.

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Phelan’s comment was a reference to prostitution. Essentially, he is saying that when you start to get that sort of enjoyment out of your job, you have already become too emotionally involved.

This shows Phelan’s cold pragmatism: at best, law enforcement is a business, at worst it’s prostitution.

McNulty then jokingly scolds Phelan for rhetoric that’s so unbecoming of a Judge, suggesting he should have a bit more dignity, if not a little discretion.

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Simon’s work has always focused on police and law enforcement and it’s no surprise that he’s well-versed in the culturally relevant material in that arena. This same line was used in the movie Homicide, a film about a cop who “puts his job first and his personal identity second”.

Bob, I’m gonna tell you what the old whore said, and this is the truest thing I know: “When you start cumming with the customers, it’s time to quit.”

The film was not particularly successful commercially, but earned critical acclaim from Roger Ebert and was screened at Cannes in 1991

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