Turn in Your Badge: Difference between revisions

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* In general, Japanese police officers did not surrender their badge, but their book-like police ID.

* A military version (since the military are the police, and the entire government for that matter) in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'', when some of the lower-level soldiers decide to stop following orders from the corrupt High Command; they tear the insignia off of their uniforms and drop it at a General's feet.

** Subverted when Ed attempts to resign in a meeting with the Fuhrer, who then responds by threatening to kill Winry if he went through with it.

 

== [[Film]] ==

* Dragnet: Happens to Friday in the parody film. However, he deserves it as he arrests the suspect in public and only has the testimony of an eyewitness who briefly saw the suspect. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragnet_(1987_film)\]

* Happened to FBI Agent Clarice Starling in ''[[Hannibal]]'', the sequel to ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''. Except in this case she had followed every procedure to the letter and was suspended because a rival agent planted obviously fake evidence against her in her office. Apparently everybody else in the FBI is either corrupt or incompetent.

** Actually not a rival agent, but a superior with whom she would not sleep. Brought out much better in the book: the FBI was not a very female-friendly workplace. Jack Crawford had sheltered her from much of the agency's internal politics, and with him retired, she no longer had any protection. Plus, [[Facial Horror|ason erger]] was manipulating the situation through a large political donation, as he (correctly) believed that putting Starling into a vulnerable situation would flush out Lecter.

** Oh he does. Just he notices it at the very last second when ''it's turning amber'', so he's the only one that gets to go through, with a very disgruntled Jason Statham. Also, the actor copies Rob's accent and decides to use that accent for the audition.

** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1dOtpj48Hg Here's a link.]

* [[Lampshade|Lampshaded]] by Danny Madigan in ''[[Last Action Hero]]''.

{{quote| '''Danny:''' He only took your badge, because you destroyed more of the city than usual.}}

* A character in ''[[Wild Things]]'' is asked to do this after his second lawful shooting, due to the (well-founded) fear of [[Da Chief]] that with that kind of luck, the shootings might not be so lawful after all. Of course, this isn't where the consequences end...

* They try to do this to [[Dirty Harry]] in ''[[Sudden Impact]]''. After his harassment of an old mobster at his daughter's wedding results in a heart attack they order him to take a vacation. While on vacation some punks try to take him down with a molotov cocktail and he forces them off a pier to their deaths. They end his vacation, but send him out of town on another case.

* In ''[[The Guard]]'', Sergeant Gerry Boyle is told to turn in his badge. Hilariously subverted when he refuses, turns out to have critical information regarding the case and finally {{spoiler|proves to be the only cop NOT on the take from the drug dealers}}.

* ''[[Osmosis Jones]]''

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* DCI Jack Spratt of [[Jasper Fforde]]'s ''[[Nursery Crime]]'' series is stated in the book-within-a-book ''Bumper Book of Berkshire Records'' to have been suspended over 262 times in his career, only one of which led to higher action (a reprimand). This is mainly because both he and his supervisor are [[Genre Savvy]], and his supervisor makes a point of suspending him at least once per case more for dramatic effect than anything else.

* Ian Rankin's Inspector [[Rebus]] is frequently suspended from cases for various reasons throughout the series.

* Subverted in Liz Williams' Inspector Chen novel ''Snake Agent''. About halfway through, Chen has a meeting with [[Da Chief]], who tells him explicitly that he is ''not'' going to take Chen off the case, because he knows full well that Chen is the only person able and willing to handle it. (The scene also features Chen uttering the words "Go to Hell, sir" -- as a literal and truthful response to the question "What do you intend to do next?")

* In the [[Dale Brown]] novel ''Warrior Class'', Terrill Samson asks Patrick McLanahan and David Luger to resign after [[No One Gets Left Behind|they take part in a rescue mission]] against his orders.

* The Isaacsons in ''[[The Alienist]]'' are on a "special assignment" leave from the NYPD.

* In ''[[Rivers of London]]'' after {{spoiler|Detective Chief Inspector Nightingale is shot}}, Grant is put on suspension and {{spoiler|Tyburn}} moves quickly to try and get him fired and the magical department shut down. The Commissioner doing the firing becoming one of those possessed and turned into a rioter probably helped get this fixed.

 

== [[Live Action TV]] ==

* ''[[Adam-12]]'': In the episode "X-Force," Malloy is suspended for four days after being accused of using excessive force on a suspect, a smart-mouthed child molester.

** Several other episodes see rouge or otherwise [[Bad Cop, Incompetent Cop|bad or ill-suited police officers]] either get let go, voluntarily agree to turn in their badge or get washed out. A Season 3 episode saw an officer, a close friend of Malloy's, be involved in an extortion ring. A "Badge Heavy" cop turns in his things in Season 5 after evidence mounts of him using excessive force on suspects. A Season 6 episode, "The Rookie," saw a [[Know-Nothing Know-It-All|"supercop"]] get fired after it was clear he was using poor judgement in identifying suspects. And finally, a young rookie cop realizes -- almost too late -- that a stuttering impediment makes him ill-suited for the force in Season 7's "Pressure Point."

* Kate in season 2 of ''[[Angel]]''.

* Subverted on ''[[CSI]]'', when Warrick Brown forces Detective Jim Brass to hand over his badge, but only so he can analyze it and find the evidence to clear Brass of the crime he was accused of, before Brass gets it back at the end of the episode.

* Parodied with Laser Tag in the pre-credits sequence of an episode of ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]''.

* ''[[Law and Order Special Victims Unit]]'': Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson, though very rarely for either of them.

** In one episode a [[Genre Savvy]] Stabler is told that the captain wants to see him, he gives his gun and badge to Fin, knowing he'll have to turn them in anyway before he leaves.

* DCI Gene Hunt gets suspended in both ''[[Life On Mars]]'' {{spoiler|accused of murdering a boxing promoter}} and ''[[Ashes to Ashes]]'' {{spoiler|Gene and Ray attack a suspect and are reported by Alex, and Gene gets put on paid leave}}, which means, of course, that he was just being Gene!

** Gene Hunt himself employs this trope in the seventh episode, when there is a death in police custody and he suspends Sam for being overzealous in his pursuit of the truth. [[The Stinger]]?

** Another time, after another chewing out from Sandra, Gerry offers her his badge yet again -- except, of course, being a retired policeman, he no longer ''has'' a badge, so he has to make do with his Blockbuster video club card.

* Subverted in the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode "Shades of Grey", in which Jack O'Neill (a [[Military Maverick]]) is forced to retire after stealing a piece of advanced technology from the Tollan, and then proceeds to collaborate with Colonel Maybourne and his rogue NID team involved in similar activities. In the end, it is revealed that all of this was {{spoiler|a ploy by O'Neill and General Hammond to expose the NID's mole in the SGC, who turned out to be Colonel Makepeace}}.

* Danny Messer on [[CSI: NY]], once in the third season, played relatively straight, although Danny didn't actually kill the guy-his DNA just ended up on a cigarette his brother swiped and tossed in a hole with the guy-and averted more recently in season 8.

* Used with Wayne Rigsby on ''[[The Mentalist]]'', but quickly taken back once Patrick Jane realized that he had been hypnotized and wasn't responsible for his actions.

* Subverted in ''[[NCIS]]''. In "Jeopardy" Ziva appears to have caused the death of a prisoner in her custody and is stuck on desk work. She says there's only one thing to do, having "seen it on your American movies" and hands Gibbs her badge. Gibbs in unimpressed, gives her back the badge and tells Ziva that if she does that again, she'd better mean it. In "Twisted Sister" McGee hands in his badge to the Director because he refused to turn in his sister when she appeared to have committed a murder -- Gibbs promptly [[Dope Slap|Dope Slaps]] McGee for allowing the Director to manipulate him into resigning.

** Played straight in the season 8 episode ''Defiance''; after McGee and DiNozzo blunder a protection detail, director Vance demands that "if the situation is not rectified in 48 hours", he will have both their badges on his desk.

* Parodied. Kenneth does this in the workplace dramedy ''[[30 Rock]]''. Pete is justly alarmed that a page was carrying a gun...

* On ''[[White Collar]]'', fingerprints implying Peter planted evidence lead to an investigation and his boss asking for his badge and gun.

* On ''[[Twin Peaks]]'', this happens to {{spoiler|Agent Cooper}}.

* On ''[[SWAT]]'', the premiere episode plays with this as Robert Urich's cop character, in the hospital after surviving an attack that killed his partner, picks up his badge is if he wants to resign. However, he then simply requests if his badge could be renumbered to his deceased partner's; the SWAT leader agrees to make the arrangements.

* In the pilot of ''[[Due South]]'', Fraser turns in his own badge, after he is denied a transfer to the consulate in Chicago so that he could coordinate with the Chicago Police Department to ensure that they are investigating the suspect in his father's murder. Having seen that he intends to go to Chicago whether they let him go officially or not, they decide to give him the transfer (thus, he keeps the badge after all.)

* In ''[[Dollhouse]]'', Agent Paul Ballard has to hand in his badge and gun {{spoiler|because the Dollhouse sets him up since he's too close to the truth}}.

* In the ''[[Castle]]'' episode "Always", {{spoiler|[[Da Chief|Gates]] demands this of Esposito and Beckett, and Beckett decides to resign entirely.}}

 

== [[New Media]] ==

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* In the ''[[Ace Attorney]]'' series, Detective Gumshoe {{spoiler|loses his job in both the DS-exclusive fifth case of the first game and the fourth case of the second game. He makes it through the third game without getting fired once.}}

** Happens literally when {{spoiler|Phoenix loses his job after submitting forged evidence to court.}}

* In ''[[Mass Effect]]'', the same effect is had when [[Cool Ship|the Normandy]] is kept from leaving the Citadel.

* ''[[Heavy Rain]]'' has {{spoiler|Lt. Blake and his boss, Captain Perry, getting this if the former kills Ethan while Norman is alive}}.

** This also happens to {{spoiler|Norman Jayden if the player has him accuse Blake of being the Origami Killer.}}

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* ''[[Angry Beavers]]'', "Dagski and Norb" (parodying ''Starsky and Hutch''). The titular cops report to their superior about seeing a car that looked just like theirs... and end up turning in their badges anyhow because there was a report about "something bad going down" and their car being seen leaving the scene of the crime.

* In ''[[Family Guy]]'' [[The Movie]], Tom Tucker is fired from the news station and had to give back all of his station items, including his ''mustache''.

* In at least one episode of ''[[Fillmore]]'', the title character has to turn in his Safety Patrol sash.

* Officer Mike Brikowski from ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'' is a fat, lazy old cop who believes that the girls are a waste of space who just take work away from "hard-working" policemen like him. In the end he is fired for his laziness and forced to turn in his badge and reflective sunglasses, but for some reason is allowed to keep his firearm as "a little souvenir". He also has to give up his precious donut. He swears vengeance on the Powerpuffs, which he goes after unsuccessfully through the episode.

* Done, [[The Simpsons Did It|as everything is]], on ''[[The Simpsons]]'' when Apu is fired from the Kwik-E-Mart. He is told to hand in his pricing gun (which he keeps in a shoulder holster) and his backup (kept in an ankle holster).

'''Mr. Garrison:''' Oh, sorry. So I can keep it then? }}

* Grizzlikov, the [[Obstructive Bureaucrat]] supreme of SHUSH, ends up getting let go by [[Da Chief]] J Gander Hooter, in favour of a squad trained and inspired by Costumed Crimefighter (and title character) [[Darkwing Duck]] in one episode. {{spoiler|It's the variant, as mentioned above; he gets recruited by the villains and works as [[The Mole]] to sabotage their big design, all according to Hooter's plan.}}

* ''[[Danger Mouse]]'': In "The Invasion of Colonel K," the Colonel fires Danger Mouse and Penfold, but that's only because Baron Greenback (reduced to microscopic size) has entered his brain and is telling the Colonel what to say.

** "Demons Aren't Dull" has DM attempting to quit after he is humiliated on a "This Is Your Life" show showcasing his shortcomings. The show was secretly staged by Baron Greenback.