One of the main characters of Prime Conditions is a police officer in a world where part of the policing role has been taken away. While Zinnia misses that aspect, her heart remains with police work. But what is police work centuries from now?
It had crossed my mind months ago that I should give more thought to what the police role and title would be in the future. However, other edits took precedence, like passing the Bechdel test and adding more diverse characters. Now, as I devour articles to understand what it means to rethink and defund police departments, I'm returning to this question.
Silbrith and I have tossed around preliminary ideas. Instead of a cop, should Zinnia be a Protection Officer? Safety Officer?
Zinnia and her sister mentor new hires in this novel, which gives me an ideal opportunity to describe what the role and career path are -- once I figure that out. Things I want to keep: Zinnia showing compassion to an immigrant family suspected of a crime, taking the time to understand their point of view. Things to reconsider: Zinnia following up on a crime where she and her son were victims. In a novel where I've made a point of calling out checks and balances for people in positions of power, that seems like a scenario that wouldn't be allowed.
I'll need to ponder this for a while.
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