A staffer is found to have hung herself because she was about to reveal names of top officials who were trading votes for sexual favors. The reporter to whom she was to reveal the news also has something of a history with Chief Mannion's family. Also, a school teacher fights for health care reforms for students and families.
Mannion is very disappointed when he finds that the 17-year old boy who got Ella's heart is involved in a robbery of a gas station that ended in the attendant's death. Temple's day turns very sour when the mayor decides to not pick up the court fees after the Lester Richards case. Meanwhile, Nancy and her mom are attacked by car jackers, or are they?
Ricky and a friend collapse at Ricky's birthday party and are taken to the hospital, where they are diagnosed with MDMA ingestion (a.k.a. ecstasy). Mannion and his men hit the streets trying to reach the source of the drug distribution network, which leads them all the way to a man in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Clive and Ella's sister fight over Ricky's custody, and Ricky chooses to go with his aunt to Florida. Debreno and Temple's friendship is shaken and Temple punches Debreno, still about the Lester Richards case. Brander and Cutter track down an ATM thief, a job usually done by the secret service agents – who offer Cutter a position on their staff.
Mannion investigates the death of a man during a Civil War reenactment. While Temple takes the matter personally when one of the suspects turns out to be a big time racist, it's Noland who, trying to find a connection between him and a man in an old picture, discovers a rivalry between the prime suspect and the victim that dates back to the Civil War days. Meanwhile, Debreno and Regan are out testing a new bait car that almost causes the death of a car thief.
Chief Mannion and his men investigate the disappearance of teenage girls who all point to a virtual suspect: a guy named Icarus who uses the internet to lure his victims and eventually murders them. The case takes a personal turn when Noland's niece becomes the next target and Joe puts all his efforts into catching the guy. Meanwhile, Temple suffers with pranks and rash commentaries from his co-workers about the death of Lester Richards, while Sherry tries to adjust to her new job.
Mannion is determined to have the best people possible working for him and asks his ex-wife, Sherry, to become his Superintendent of Detectives. Meanwhile, when an ex-con is arrested for the murder of his girlfriend who was also a parolee, Mannion tries to put into action a parolee-rehabilitation program Ella had begun before she died.
After Chief Strickland causes the death of an innocent old lady due to having inaccurate information on the whereabouts of a dangerous drug lord, Mannion decides to catch the guy himself. He uses the help of his best men, who put their jobs at steak and work parallel to Strickland's orders. Mannion's house is burnt down after he keeps stopping kids from selling drugs. When Mannion finally catches the guy, Mayor Douglas won't give his job back, so Jack is forced to reveal that he knows the phone wire was illegal, which ultimately forces Douglas to give him his job back. Meanwhile, Temple investigates two cops whom he thinks are abusing their authority and beating the people they arrest, while Debreno sleeps with Maria Rodriguez, which causes some conflict on his friendship with Temple.
Back from his Arizona vacation and determined to get his job back, Jack starts campaigning for being Chief of police, even though it's not an elected position. He chooses not to use the illegal taping card that might get him back in the office in no time for a future use and moves into a poor neighborhood. Meanwhile, Brander decides to go back to the force and teams up with Nancy to investigate Lester Richard's death, for which Temple got arrested. They discover that Maria ""Cashmere Brown"" Rodriguez was lying, which frees Temple – but doesn't exactly prove he didn't kill Lester vindictively.