Almost all of the command staff have experience as an Lt in a division or major unit so that's not the problem. Conrad, like White before him, knows the Mayor's office isn't interested in proactive enforcement. When officers start getting aggressive with the felons, it leads to use of force and community activists making trouble for the Mayor. The department is only a necessary evil in their eyes and exists to respond to 911 calls and block off roads for special events. The only thing that could