The department restructures precincts into specialty squads. Luger gets the 12th assigned as a homicide squad. A man murders his barber. A woman hires a hit man to kill her husband and then changes her mind.
Barney's frustration boils over when the new homicide-only edict results in the death of an old friend. Dietrich tracks down the hit man's intended target. Harris woos the precinct's crime photographer.
A drunk and disorderly man turns out to be a delegate from the 1976 Democratic convention. Barney discovers that the newly assigned Officer Nash is not really a police officer.
Wojo takes a personal interest in a fellow vet whose crime spree may be related to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War. A domestic dispute occurs at the Brauer household when their apartment building becomes "clothing optional."
The precinct is besieged by a large group of prostitutes. Dorsey develops a protective stance with a young one. Harris receives stock tips from another. Dietrich is tempted by all of them as he experiments with celibacy.
The detectives are edgy because someone is sending specific information about them to Internal Affairs. Harris sets up a reunion between an elderly cat burglar and his wife who reported him missing years ago.
A gypsy has an incredibly compelling motive for harassing the owner of a novelty store. A librarian takes extreme measures to enforce quiet among her patrons.
Wojo asks Barney's daughter out on a date. A sporting goods store owner takes the law in his own hands. Arnold Ripner sues Harris over the lawyer's portrayal in the detective's novel.
An expensive doll is abducted for ransom. A man claims he was swindled out of a ticket on the space shuttle. Luger names Barney as a beneficiary in his will.
A woman threatens to blow up the squad room with a homemade bomb. The jury reaches a verdict in Harris's libel suit. Retired Detective Phil Fish drops in for a visit.
Luger turns a small disturbance with the Hassidic community into a full-blown riot. The squad discovers a survivalist couple setting up their housekeeping in the sewer (steam tunnels)
The officers arrest a rainmaker, only to discover that he was hired by the drought-ridden city. Wojo, Harris, and Dietrich each consider applying for a job opening in vice.