Police Captains/lieutenants are always angry at their star detective and yell at him, threatening suspension if he doesn't drop the case.
Corollary: it is only _after_ the detective has been suspended that he can properly crack the case.
Many police chiefs are in constant contact with their city's mayor who will often "chew their ass" about a single criminal investigation out of the thousands going on in a city. (note: See "I Married an Axe Murderer" for a hilarious send-up of the "mean chief" cliche.)
The police will never question the hero, even if he kills lots of bad guys.
The cops never show up during massive gun battles in city streets that involve bystanders and exploding cars. After the fact, you might just hear a siren in the distance.
More murders always happen during the investigation of the first one. The last living suspect is the murderer.
Most homicide detectives are brooding, near-crazed loners, most likely divorced or widowed, borderline alcoholics. Of course, there are more respectable-looking detectives, but they are inept and not nearly as tough as their mentally-troubled colleagues.
Many detectives are recruited directly from the police academy, therefore accounting for youthful "seasoned detectives" (see "Speed," "Kuffs," "Stakeout").
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