Biography Jay Landsman (The Wire)

1 biography

1.1 policing method
1.2 season 1
1.3 season 2
1.4 season 3
1.5 season 4
1.6 season 5

biography
policing method

landsman s role in police department of supervisory detective sergeant participates in investigative work. landsman acts in best interests of subordinates give him necessary clearances (closed cases). supervisor, landsman acts in accordance wishes of superior officers though in cases, not agree specific commands. examples of when ordered have bunk moreland find kenneth dozerman s missing firearm in season 3 , when dead state s witness becomes electoral issue in season 4. throughout series, shown commander attempting strike balance between loyalty subordinates , superiors, favoring latter. landsman has been called solve few murders on own supervisor. landsman jovial , provides degree of comic relief in series. possesses shrewd understanding of subtle politics in chain of command, acting in self-preservation , self-promotion without making many enemies. states mcnulty, during first episode of season 2, saying self-preservation , bad mcnulty never learned that. overall, under landsman s supervision, homicide unit ends clearing many of more challenging whodunit homicides occurring in baltimore city proving him effective sergeant within department. however, can mildly bullying , tends derive humor schadenfreude though not malicious.

he has duty of ministering in informal detective wakes held in honor of deceased @ kavanaugh s, bar frequented many in department. wakes take place in season 3 (for ray cole), season 4 (for raymond foerster) , season 5 (for ostracized, still-living jimmy mcnulty).

season 1

landsman squad sergeant in homicide division of baltimore police department. commanding officer william rawls. landsman s squad consists of several of shows characters - in season 1 comprised detectives jimmy mcnulty, bunk moreland, michael santangelo, ray cole, ed norris , vernon holley. landsman finds misfortune of cops in unit constant source of amusement protective of them @ times. loyal rawls , doggedly pursues high case clearance rates rawls aims realistic capabilities of detectives.

when mcnulty went around chain of command , incurred rawls s wrath being detailed unit landsman appeared unsympathetic. insisted mcnulty s work looking @ old homicide cases detail put advantage make losing detective. end, insisted mcnulty deirdre kresson murder case; mcnulty reluctant because case appeared unrelated. landsman sure link found , intuition later proved correct. however, landsman did argue mcnulty s case rawls , managed rawls agree mcnulty return homicide clean slate if investigation wrapped quickly. despite landsman s best efforts mcnulty remained out of favor rawls because refused end case working on prematurely.

landsman maintained black , twisted humor work of squad. when rawls gave detective santangelo ultimatum of clearing whodunit case days end landsman recommended him psychic. claimed woman, madame larue, gifted in matters of death investigation . santangelo took advice burying doll in grave awaking later night given evidence in murder had occurred. when sanny saw had been given information regarding open homicide, thanked landsman told him gypsy routine joke , had been bunk , mcnulty saved career.

landsman s squad handled case of killing of wendell orlando blocker , wounding of detective kima greggs , involved in investigation.

season 2

initial suspicions confirmed when landsman admits mcnulty informed rawls didn t want re-stationed. learned of while being present when mcnulty discussed in season one.

landsman s squad altered rawls transferred santangelo , mcnulty out of unit because had displeased him working barksdale detail. lester freamon returned homicide after thirteen-year (and 4 month) absence , joined landsman s squad.

when rawls forced take on multiple homicide case of fourteen unidentified dead women, entrusted landsman. landsman gave case freamon , bunk telling them best detectives. when detectives started working cedric daniels on sobotka detail, landsman saw potential offload responsibility of case daniels refused.

landsman responsible interrogation of chester ziggy sobotka after killed george double g glekas. although ziggy confessed, landsman failed inform daniels specialized detail murder in time them become involved. daniels irate landsman lack of forethought when allowed targets dispose of evidence @ glekas crime scene.

season 3

landsman appeared commanding detective of homicide again season associated finding service weapon of officer dozerman, gun stolen in failed undercover buy. had bunk moreland gun, pressuring him intensely until bunk wrote ten-page report stating how unproductive investigation became. bunk claimed had more important things murder investigator , city s homicide rate rising, , landsman appeared give bunk blessing work murders instead. landsman delivers eulogy @ detective s wake held ray cole after sudden death.

landsman later appeared following death of officer derrick waggoner, black plainclothes officer accidentally killed detective pryzbylewski, had mistaken him criminal. landsman angry @ death, referring clusterfuck officer murdered  6 ⁄2-year veteran 16th on current sergeant s list 2 commendations while prez known incompetence , still in department due father-in-law stan valchek, southeastern district commander.

season 4

landsman not above getting involved in politics. when detective ed norris informs him s investigating murder of state s witness landsman passes knowledge on major valchek in secret. valchek leaks information tommy carcetti uses against current mayor in key debate.

landsman s squad boosted return of lester freamon , addition of kima greggs when new unit commander drives them out of major case unit. landsman , detectives tease greggs when first joins unit. political pressure forces landsman assign greggs, instead of norris, witness murder. when information leaked press, landsman attends press conference greggs , norris diffuse story claiming working together. greggs feels used superiors , creates friction between , landsman. landsman forced intercede in investigation second time when norris threatens break case on eve of election. rawls tells him whatever outcome of case, 1 of candidates put out , better leave pending until after election. landsman told reassign greggs , norris polling station duty day prevent progress in investigation.

after election, greggs solves braddock case tends provide less leads given , gains landsman s respect in process. landsman seen delivering eulogy colonel foerester whom claimed had miraculous career serving 39 years without trace of bitterness or hostility, rarity in baltimore police department. landsman seen criticizing detective moreland reversing 1 of detective holley s clearances against cases going black red. following foerester s death, cedric daniels named c.i.d. colonel , allocates more resources investigative divisions allow more quality investigations, @ order of mayor-elect tommy carcetti. landsman witnesses detective lester freamon discovering dead bodies in abandoned houses , against discovery because raise city s homicide rate. when more bodies discovered, landsman realizes squad can t maintain acceptable clearance rate , becomes less concerned department s numbers. landsman sees bubbles turn himself in murder of teenager , after hearing death accidental, decides not press homicide charges sending him psychiatric unit @ bayview instead.

season 5

after jimmy mcnulty forced out of police department, landsman delivers speech @ wake in mcnulty s honor. cites insubordination , personality flaws says mcnulty best detective has ever had , sorry losing him. fakes breaking out in tears @ end.