There is always an element of research for each novel; sometimes the research is vast (historical fiction) and sometimes it's more like fact checking. I recently had a chance to do a police ride-along with a terrific police officer in Portland, Maine. I'm working on a sequel to Lost & Found and for reasons that are better left undisclosed, I needed to understand the workings of the city from the perspective of the patrol officers.
For those of you who have never had the chance to see the inside of a police cruiser (there is always the back seat but that is where you don't want to be) it is a marvel of technology. They are as connected to the internet as everyone else, with the benefit of quick access to any of our misdeeds just by looking up our driver's license. The cruiser was so crammed with high tech gadgets, that it was a tight squeeze for the passenger. I rode with the officer for 4 hours and she graciously answered every single question that I had for her as we patroled her beat. In case you want to know the difference between a Glock and a Smith & Wesson, just ask.
For those of you who have never had the chance to see the inside of a police cruiser (there is always the back seat but that is where you don't want to be) it is a marvel of technology. They are as connected to the internet as everyone else, with the benefit of quick access to any of our misdeeds just by looking up our driver's license. The cruiser was so crammed with high tech gadgets, that it was a tight squeeze for the passenger. I rode with the officer for 4 hours and she graciously answered every single question that I had for her as we patroled her beat. In case you want to know the difference between a Glock and a Smith & Wesson, just ask.