Mannion takes on a powerful city commissioner he believes is partially to blame for the cutbacks that have forced the chief to lay off officers. The move makes the mayor so upset he looks for an excuse to fire Mannion. Meanwhile, a congressional witness in a fraud trial claims that important documents were stolen from his hotel room and Nancy and Brander get hurt in an accident while pursuing a suspect.

The mayor is more determined to have Mannion fired when a man is arrested and allegedly dies in custody because of an officer's failure to follow procedures. Things get even more intense when the mayor's mentally disturbed son disappears after two cops take him to a hospital.