The film follows three new recruits (two men and one woman) through the first year and a half of police work, starting with the 6 grueling months at the training academy. Operating on the stress overload principle, the academy pushes the recruits beyond what they thought were their physical and psychological limits. Standards for men and women at the academy are the same. The 960 hours of training are designed to teach the students methods for dealing with every situation, but the film emphasizes that only the experience of being a rookie on the street will really teach them to have what is called 'command presence.' The film depicts the challenges and stresses of the training and follows the three rookies during their 1-year probationary period after graduation from the academy. The families of the rookies are counseled by a staff psychologist who advises that personality changes are common among recruits and helps the spouses to deal with these changes. The film shows the rookies' typical experience of police patrol, as well as their surprises, rewards, and disappointments. Discussion questions are included in the viewing guide. (Author abstract modified)