To think the fictional character of the police detective who works all hours until the murder is solved is really unrealistic

[Fragmentedbrain]

They'd sign off at the end of their shift like everyone else imo

I don't think it is unrealistic..
But bear in mind those types of cases are actually few and far in between
But if there were a serial killer on the loose I think it's pretty realistic that it would encroach on all the police wo work on that's personal lives too..
I know working in mental health if there's a particularly interesting/difficult/remarkable in some way patient then yeah I've been thinking about it at home going through things, coming up with different approaches etc etc
You just do!
So I imagine it's the same for detectives with interesting cases
Some things really get to you..
My DH had a patient that had a massive impact on his life. Years of input both in and outside work.

It’s not. My friend is on a UK police flying squad (they go immediately to extreme cases think along the lines of terrorism, gang crime).

She worked from 8am until 6.30am the other day. Most days she works from 6am to 9pm ish. She misses a lot of events and meet up. She really is almost always working.

I’ve always wondered about that. Would a superintendent actually go out & interview witnesses etc, accompanied by a chief inspector?

No. Never.

Most of the things people see in dramas are the things constables and sergeants do but on tv, they claim they're chief inspectors and similar. It's hogwash.

I'm long past believing that what should happen and what actually happens are the same thing.

DH has moved into a role without OT or TOIL in the last 6 months and works only his 12hr shifts for the first time in two decades.

This doesn’t happen. Leave isn’t observed when it coincides with a court case and they get in a lot of trouble if they refuse to go (although if the criminals don’t show up, seemingly nobody bats an eyelid). I almost had to cut short my honeymoon and come back from the US so that my husband could be a witness in court, he had to appeal to get it changed several times on the grounds it was HIS HONEYMOON.

Thank you, I thought it probably was!

Portrayed in the same way that midwives are. All so dedicated until the baby comes. But the truth is when the shift ends their shift ends and off they trot!