Medavoy leaves his wife and finally tells Donna about his romantic feelings for her, which turn out to be mutual. Sharon LaSalle, a police academy classmate of Kelly's, joins the squad and shortly after, she and Sipowicz investigate the death of her husband, Danny, who was an ex-cop trying to stop a robbery during her first day at the 15th precinct. Kelly and Sipowicz relentlessly try to track down the two robbers responsible, while an an ambitious publicity-seeking reporter plots to take advantage of the case to further advance his own career. Meanwhile, an alcoholic woman keeps lodging complaints to Kelly against her abusive husband that she never follows through with.

Medavoy tells Donna that he's caught his wife being unfaithful yet again and decides to move out. But he crashes at the station since he cannot afford a place to live. So, Donna asks him to move in with her. Meanwhile, racial hostilities flare up in the community after Martinez shoots a belligerent black motorist who draws a gun on Medavoy, but the gun goes missing. Janice becomes more and more distressed by the recent events and after talking to Kelly's preacher friend, Father Downey, she confesses to Fancy that she was the one that killed Angelo Marino and his chauffeur. Also, Sipowicz tries to attend an open AA meeting with Sylvia's support.

Janice's murder trial begins, where Kelly risks the consequences when he testifies on Janice's behalf about their brief affair which results in the Internal Affairs Bureau investigating him. Meanwhile, Sipowicz works with an abused woman who's reluctant to testify against her husband. Medavoy, Martinez, Sipowicz and Kelly investigate robberies of drug dealers in their apartments. Sipowicz's AA sponsor wants him to agree to abide by a contract before he lets him try to restart his relationship with Sylvia. Donna tries to give Medavoy advice about dealing with his divorce. Also, Robin leaves Kelly for good when he tells her that he still has feelings for Janice.

Internal Affairs begins to investigate Kelly and Sipowicz's arresting of the officers they caught robbing drug dealer's apartments, then they begin looking into Kelly's handling of the notebook that was part of Medavoy's case. Janice's murder trial continues where she takes the witness stand to give an emotional testimony about her reluctant involvement with the mob and is sent to prison with a two-year sentence. Meanwhile, Kelly and Sipowicz investigate a double murder.