Police Commissioner Quotes in Sudden Impact (1983)

[Harry, Lt. Donnelly & Capt. Briggs are meeting in the Commissioner's office, after Harry's confrontation with Threlkis the gangster]

Captain Briggs: [shouting] In more than 30 years of police work, this is the single, most OUTRAGEOUS transgression of authority I ever heard about. What the HELL did you think you were doing?

Harry Callahan: My job.

Captain Briggs: Is it your job, to harass & incite an old man into a heart attack?

Harry Callahan: My job is to investigate homicide. That old man happens to be one of the biggest crime lords on the west coast. How the hell was I supposed to know he was gonna vapor-lock?

Captain Briggs: But you hoped he would?

Harry Callahan: The Doker case is mine. It was at a standstill. I was just trying to break it loose.

Captain Briggs: Sure, with threats and intimidation!

Harry Callahan: Any way possible!

Captain Briggs: Are you aware that you have destroyed MONTHS - of intelligence & surveillance work? We're talking thousands of dollar, hundreds of man-hours? Special investigations has been BUSTING ITS ASS preparing a case against Threlkis.

Harry Callahan: He would have just snaked his way out of it. Maybe we saved the taxpayers a little money.

Captain Briggs: [with contempt] I ought to bust your ass down to traffic. Or better yet, kick it off the force! You're a dinosaur, Callahan. Your ideas don't fit today.

Harry Callahan: Just what ideas are these? That murder's a crime? That it shouldn't be punished?

Captain Briggs: [sneering] Hey, don't you lecture me, you son-of-a-bitch. You know who you're talking to, huh? You know MY record?

Harry Callahan: [disgusted] Yeah. You're a legend in your own mind!

Captain Briggs: [angrily] Goddamn you, Callahan!

Police Commissioner: Gentlemen, that's enough! Inspector, your methods are unconventional to say the least. Well, you get results. But often your successes are more costly to this department in terms of publicity & physical destruction than most other men's failures!

Lt. Donnelly: Commissioner, now I...

Police Commissioner: [cuts Donnelly off] Please, Lieutenant! The press will have a field day with this latest escapade. There may be further civil & legal repercussions. As a matter of fact there may even be attempts at retaliation. I think it would be wise if the inspector took some time off.

[Briggs nods approvingly]

Police Commissioner: I think it would be wise if the Inspector took some time off.

Harry Callahan: Are you suspending me, sir?

Police Commissioner: No, I'm saying you take a vacation until this cools off.

Harry Callahan: But I'm not up for a vacation!

Police Commissioner: Callahan, I'm not going to fence with you. Take a few days off.

Police Commissioner: Inspector, your methods are unconventional to say the least. Oh, you get results. But often your successes are more costly to this department in terms of expenses and physical destruction than most other men's failures.

[about Clouseau]

Police Commissioner: You knew him intimately.

Chief Insp. Dreyfus: I hated him intimately!

Police Commissioner: Would you hold the wire chief? Dave the Dude - bootlegger, racketeer and gambler - wants to tell me a beddy-byes story!