Cedric Daniels

Lore & Background

Daniels begins the series as lieutenant of the Baltimore Police Department's Narcotics Unit, shift commander for detectives Kima Greggs, Ellis Carver, and Thomas "Herc" Hauk, reporting to Major Raymond Foerster. In Season 1, he is given command of the Barksdale detail. He initially follows Deputy Commissioner Ervin Burrell's advice for a fast, straightforward investigation but later risks his career several times to protect the case. He bypasses the chain of command to persuade Burrell to delay murder warrants for D'Angelo Barksdale when Major William Rawls wants to issue them on flimsy evidence. At the end of Season 1, he is passed over for promotion to major in favor of Lieutenant Walter Cantrell. In Season 2, as punishment for defying Burrell, Daniels is reassigned to evidence control. He contemplates quitting to become a lawyer but reconsiders when Major Stan Valchek insists he be given command of a special detail to investigate stevedore union leader Frank Sobotka. Daniels forces Burrell to agree he become commander of a permanent unit if the investigation is successful. In Season 3, Burrell follows through and lets Daniels form a permanent Major Case Unit consisting of McNulty, Greggs, Freamon, Prez, Sydnor, and Caroline Massey. Daniels separates from his wife Marla, partly because of her dissatisfaction with his career path, which he blames on her own political climbing. He starts a relationship with State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman but is skeptical about making it public while Marla runs for Baltimore City Council, claiming it will look bad for her political career to have him leave her for a white woman.

In Their Own Story

In Season 1, Daniels meets with Deputy Commissioner Ervin Burrell, who tells him the Barksdale case should be made with buy busts in a fast, straightforward investigation. Daniels discusses the new assignment with his wife Marla and promises to run the investigation per the wishes of the higher-ups. At a political fundraiser, Daniels meets State Senator Clay Davis' driver Damian "Day-Day" Price, later discovered to be a bag man involved with the Barksdales. Daniels has a difficult relationship with the insubordinate Jimmy McNulty, who is informed by his FBI contact that Daniels has $200,000 more in liquid assets than his salary warrants; it is later implied that these were picked up during Daniels' tenure in the Eastern District. Daniels suspects Herc and Carver of skimming seized drug money and leniently gives them one day to return the money rather than immediately turning them in. When Freamon uncovers the Barksdales' campaign contributions to Baltimore political figures, Daniels' team arrests Day-Day, but Daniels is forced to return the funds with no further investigation to avoid raising Davis' ire. Burrell tries to shut the detail down and threatens to reveal the source of Daniels' liquid assets, but Daniels calls his bluff and points out that doing so would bring bad press to the BPD. The Barksdale investigation ends with the arrests of Avon and D'Angelo Barksdale, along with Wee-Bey Brice and several others. Daniels is left unsatisfied because Avon is convicted for minor offenses and Stringer Bell escapes uncharged. In Season 2, Daniels' detail links Sobotka's union to a smuggling operation run by "The Greek." Sobotka is arrested, and Daniels' team convinces him to act as an informant on the Greek, but Sobotka is murdered before his testimony can be taken, and the Greek evades arrest. In Season 3, Daniels gets commended several times by senior figures including Burrell, Rawls, and Major Howard "Bunny" Colvin, but his promotion to major is held up due to Marla's political conflicts, and he feels Burrell is purposefully holding him back due to past incidents.

Reader's Guide

Cedric Daniels is defined by his dedication to decent police work and quality arrests, in contrast to superiors and peers displaying corruption and unreliability. He is an above-average investigator who gains a reputation as a reliable commander. His key relationships include his difficult dynamic with the insubordinate McNulty, his mentorship of detectives like Prez and Sydnor who become valuable assets under his supervision, and his adversarial relationship with Burrell, who tries to shut down his detail and threatens to reveal the source of Daniels' liquid assets. Daniels' defining moments include: defending Prez to his superiors after Prez injures a young boy during an unsanctioned raid; bypassing the chain of command to delay murder warrants based on flimsy evidence; calling Burrell's bluff when threatened with exposure; forcing Burrell to promise him command of a permanent unit in exchange for taking the Sobotka detail; and eventually rising to police commissioner but resigning after refusing a political request to manipulate crime statistics, starting a new career as a criminal defense lawyer.

Did You Know?

• Daniels was investigated by the FBI for corruption prior to the start of the series, with McNulty's FBI contact reporting Daniels had $200,000 more in liquid assets than his salary warrants.
• Daniels defended Prez to his superiors after Prez seriously injured a young boy during an unsanctioned, drunken late-night raid on the Barksdale tower operations.
• Daniels called Burrell's bluff when Burrell threatened to reveal the source of Daniels' liquid assets, pointing out it would bring bad press to the BPD.
• Daniels started a relationship with State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman but was skeptical about making it public while his estranged wife Marla ran for Baltimore City Council.
• By the end of the series, Daniels rose through the ranks to police commissioner but resigned after refusing a political request to manipulate crime statistics, then started a new career as a criminal defense lawyer.