The academy in Zootopia is harsh. As was shown in Judy's training, they make you do obstacle courses in emulations of every weather and terrain condition possible; desert, ice, humid jungle, urban, etc, in addition to combat training. Only tough and/or determined folk can make it through training.

But this RP isn't about the academy. It starts with you fresh out of the academy and ready to address the dangers that the ZPD faces. The now-famous police officer Judy Hopps has pushed for each district in Zootopia to have its own police office so that the police force of the city would not be stretched thin as it had been during her trying first 48 hours.

Your character begins their career in Savanna Central, the same district as Judy Hopps (and thus, the same police office). If a small rodent like a mouse, you start in Rodentia, which is also located inside Savanna Central.

Character introductions, GO!

"Blind as a bat," works out pretty good for officer Echo.  Durpface perps tend to assume the sunglasses are because he can't see them shoplifting.  He may be new to the force, but already he's been raking in the petty thieves and is well on his way to breaking the precinct record for a first-year.

  When most people hear ‘police dog’, they probably think the more streamlined ones.  In Matt’s case, not so much unless you think black lab mutts are as aerodynamic as a Doberman.

  He’s not lazy, people just really obey parking laws where he’s been shuffled off to out of the academy. Why does nobody believe this?
This message was last updated by the GM at 05:46, Sat 27 May 2017.

Actually, given how severe Judy was about handing out parking tickets on her first day as a police girl, it is no wonder people are now extremely obedient to parking laws now.

Still doesn't stop people from being doubtful and thinking Matt is lazy because of course.

Chief Bogo enters the briefing room with his usual grumpy demeanor. "Listen up, everyone! There was a big heist last night and the bank was robbed empty of its contents. This is top priority, so unless you are working on a kidnapping or some other super-important case, which none of you are*, you are now on this case."

*He knows because he checked and gathered all "available personnel" into the briefing room.

Chief Bogo calls up pairs of cops (which means that Echo and Matt are partners for RP convenience) to give them their assignments as far as where to look.

Echo and Matt are going to be investigating the same area Rodentia is in, though technically NOT investigating Rodentia.

It's indoors, so the sunglasses are perched on the forehead.  Echo takes a look at the case details then heads out with Matt.

Once outside earshot of the boss, he suggests to Matt, "If I were a successful bank robber, I might want to celebrate with something yummy.  Shall we go grab a snack, then?"

  Cut footage include a riveting 5 minutes of near silence watching a 6 minutes left parking meter before the car drove off in time.

  "Somehow I doubt drive through would be the first place they go Echo, unless they had a very hungry getaway driver."
This message was last updated by the player at 06:17, Sat 27 May 2017.

A turkish angora cat officer that Matt and Echo do not recognize hurries over to them and says, "Hold up!" He smiles, but it is clear he is a little nervous. "Officer Thunderstone. I'm brand new here and Chief Bogo assigned me to follow you two. I can help any way you two see fit, or simply observe. Either way..." he shows his assignment folder which clearly shows he is to stick with Matt and Echo. "...I'm to be with you for the duration of your assignment."

Echo really doesn't get Matt waiting that long for a parking violation when the boss said "drop everything else" for this case.  Whatevs.  Echo's not wound up like a spring like Officer Hopp, so he simply gets some social media reading out of the way while he waits.

"Look.  I was suggesting it for my own sake.  I'd like a snack."

Then kitty cat happens.  "Boy this recruitment drive...  Assigning a rookie to a pair of rookies.  It's like they don't have enough veterans on the force to handhold us wet-behind-the-ears newbies.  Welcome to Team Clueless, Thundercat."

  That was part of why it was cut footage, yes.

  "Hello, Thunder stone." Well, Matt already has front of the car privileges already, so that's what matters in this sudden development.

  "We would probably have more to go on if the briefing wasn't incredibly vague, Echo.  So at the very least we need to check our files for very basic details, like 'how many robbers'.  You can get snacks on the job when you're no longer clueless."

The details were little because the thieves were not the "armed robbery" types so much as the "tunnel in the middle of the night" types. So number of thieves: Unknown. What races the thieves were: Unknown. Pretty much all that is currently known is that the trail goes cold at the end of the tunnel, which leads directly to the sewers.

So right now, the job is canvasing, asking around, and scraping for anything to go on.

Thunderstone holds up a box of doughnuts. "Heh... I came prepared with snacks anyway. Compliments of Clawhauser."

Echo hands the near empty case folder over to Matt.  "They tunneled.  Now you're clued in."

He brightens up from Thunderstone's offer.  "Sweet!  Thank you, Clawhauser."

He goes for the jelly-filled one.  Fruit preferences and all.

"And thank you, Thunder!  You sure know how to make a good first impression."

Note to self.  Thank Clawhauser later.

  "Thanks you present and non-present kitties." Powdered sugar vs black fur, the eternal battle.

  "Well, I guess we could rush off to the sewer tunnels.  Or hope just a badge, period, is enough to get hold of copies of the utility blueprints for the department while some other group gets lost in the sewers."

Officer Thunderstone just gives a nod and a smile to acknowledge the thanks. "Considering how many people they have on this case, maybe the point is for us to just keep a look out for suspicious activity? I wish I could give suggestions, but you two probably have a better idea how to approach this."

"Folder says, 'canvas,' so that's what I intend to do," Echo says, "Above ground.  Unless Bloodhound over here thinks he can pick up the scent trail in the sewer, I don't see any reason to go down there.

  "Well we'd have to swing by the bank first for me to even know what to look for in that case anyways.  So banks or blueprints, we're still going to be on the surface either way... Outside of possible basement storage."

  He looks over to Thunderstone, "Well, maybe if we're lucky there will be some awkwardly nervous bank employee."

Officer Thunderstone nods. "I... doubt it."

When the trio arrive, the bank is unsurprisingly swarming with cops. The bank employees seem a mix. Some are calm and collected, acting professional. Some act relieved at the sight of cops. Some are just anxious to help / concerned. A few are exasperated / annoyed. None are nervous.