List of Hill Street Blues characters

(Daniel J. Travanti, 1981–87)
Furillo is in charge of the Hill Street Precinct and the focus of most episodes. He is honest, capable, and goes "by the book," though some of his colleagues find him a bit superior in attitude. He generally presents himself to be even-tempered, though it is often clear that he is controlling his emotions; on rare occasions he allows himself to get truly angry. Furillo joined the police force in 1964 and was a lieutenant at Division prior to his promotion to captain. Though he was the protege of Police Chief-to-be Daniels, Furillo often disagrees with Daniels on policy and generally has little respect for him. Frank is divorced from Fay Furillo, though he tolerates her regular tirades and helps her out as if they were still married. His relationship with Joyce Davenport, whom he affectionately calls "Counselor," is at first secret; by the end of season 3, they are married. The majority of episodes end with them in intimate situations, most of the time in bed, reviewing the events of the day. During such conversations, he sometimes refers to himself in the third person as "a certain Italian police captain." While on duty, Frank almost never appears in anything but a three-piece suit; one episode, (season 7, "Bald Ambition"), has his colleagues astounded by Frank's wearing a sports coat (after which his wardrobe varies slightly from time to time). In the first season, Frank is revealed to be a recovering alcoholic; in season 4 he almost suffers a relapse after being stripped of his command on the orders of a vindictive Mayor Cleveland and actually does relapse near the end of season 5, but catches himself in time and rejoins Alcoholics Anonymous in season 5's last episode.

(Veronica Hamel, 1981–87)
Davenport works mainly as a public defender — she was an assistant district attorney for five months in season 5, but soon realized that it was not for her and rejoined the Public Defender's Office. She is an extremely successful and well-respected attorney. Davenport is in a relationship with Captain Furillo, whom she refers to as "Pizza Man" as a term of endearment (she first used the term on screen in season 1, episode 2). They originally met during a court trial when Furillo was a recently divorced Lieutenant; their first date was to a (free) classical music concert, followed by pizza. Though the relationship is initially hidden, Davenport reveals the relationship in season 2 and they are married near the end of season 3. They have no children, as they learn in season 4 that she is medically unable to bear children (to the dismay of Furillo's mother).

(Michael Conrad, 1981–84)
Esterhaus is the desk sergeant, in charge of the uniformed officers, and is rarely seen outside of the station house. Each show opens with roll call, Esterhaus's morning briefing, which always ends with his catchphrase "Let's be careful out there." His speech is filled with complex syntax and numerous synonyms, but his style of delivery is never patronizing and indeed is often enjoyed by the officers. While on duty, he maintains a professional demeanor, but has lost his temper in a few cases of extreme provocation (such as when his treasured Buick was stolen). He passed the lieutenant examination four times, but never advanced in rank — three times due to budget limitations, and the fourth without explanation. Despite, or perhaps because of, his professional and fatherly demeanor, he is pursued by numerous women. He is a divorcé, and nearly marries his 18-year-old girlfriend at the end of season 1, until the appearance of his paramour Grace Gardner causes him to faint and call off the marriage. Three seasons later, Esterhaus dies during a romantic tryst with Grace Gardner; this served to cover for Michael Conrad's death due to urethral cancer on November 22, 1983.

(Bruce Weitz, 1981–87)
An extremely capable undercover detective. He is small in stature but strong, wiry, and very fast. He is Jewish and has on occasion posed undercover as a Hasidic Jew. He is extremely loyal to and respectful of Captain Furillo, and has an almost filial feeling towards Sergeant Esterhaus. Belker likes to growl and to bite suspects (but only when they have attacked him first); he revealed that his father, a tailor who was also short of stature, tended to bite people during fights. Belker strongly believes in family ties and he cares deeply for both his parents; hardly an episode goes by when Belker does not answer his station phone curtly with "Belker!" then softens his tone as he says "Hi, Ma." Belker suffers the death of both his father (season 3, "Life in the Minors") and his beloved mother Rose (season 6, "Blues in the Night") during the course of the series. Belker addresses friends and foes alike with insults such as "dog breath" or "hair bag", and will threaten them with violence (for example, to "rip out [their] kidneys" or collapse a lung) to keep them in line (his seldom-mentioned sister Luana [who does actually appear in one episode] shares the same style of speech). Originally a loner, Belker had multiple unsuccessful short-term relationships with women until he met and eventually married Officer Robin Tataglia. In season 6, Mick and Robin welcomed a son, whom they named Philip after Sergeant Esterhaus. Belker has had some unusual relationships which he never actually sought out (including movie actor John Gennaro in season 3, who is killed when he deliberately blunders into a drug bust that goes wrong, and the deluded "superhero" Captain Freedom), but one of the most surprising relationships in Belker's life is his friendship in season 3 with Eddie Gregg, a gay prostitute whom Belker originally arrests, then befriends. Eddie left town after first informing to Belker on his boyfriend, who had murdered some Peruvian drug dealers, then almost wrecking the case by warning the boyfriend that the police were after him. Eddie returned in season 6 to tell Belker that he (Eddie) was dying of AIDS.

(Joe Spano, 1981–87)
Goldblume is often in charge of negotiating in hostage situations. In the early years especially, he is at odds with Howard Hunter, whose distinctly right-wing view of the world contrasts with his own. He is often the confidant of Captain Furillo, to the irritation of Lieutenant Calletano. Raised on 110th Street, he joined the police force in 1969 and was stationed at Jefferson Heights prior to his transfer to Hill Street. Though somewhat meek early on (emphasized by his wearing of a bow tie and his reluctance to draw his gun), he becomes more self-confident as the series progresses. At the beginning of the series, he is married with two children, Josh and Annie; however, he and his wife Rachel undergo a separation after Henry has a short-lived affair. The separation ends after Rachel admits that she too once had an affair, but after Henry is shot during an undercover operation, his wife — who did not want him working undercover — divorces him. In season 4, Goldblume acted as Fay Furillo's labor coach, and briefly became her lover. He later fell head-over-heels for the wealthy widow of a mob boss, only to witness her cold-blooded murder during a dinner date. He had aspirations to become a writer during high school, and is convinced to write his memoirs in season 7 following the tragic death of a former high school friend, who was also an aspiring writer. As Goldblume's confidence increases over the course of the series, he becomes less of an adversary of Howard and more of a thorn in the side of Furillo, who is constantly reminded of Henry's moral code and how it sometimes contrasts with Furillo's difficult decisions.

(Michael Warren, 1981–87)
Renko's partner, generally well-meaning and good-hearted. Previously stationed at Jefferson Heights. A trained boxer - fighting as Bobby "Blueberry" Hill - he twice won Golden Gloves championships and also twice won the Metro Police Middleweight Championship, though his attempt to win a third middleweight championship ended when he was knocked out with one punch in the final match. He is briefly the vice-president of the Black Officers' Coalition. In season 4, he wins $100,000 in the lottery and promptly loses all but $30,000 of it gambling. Unlike his partner, Hill does not aspire to plainclothes work. He and his partner are fiercely loyal to each other — though this is occasionally tested, as in the aftermath of their nearly fatal shooting in season 1.

(Charles Haid, 1981–87)
Partners with Bobby Hill, who calls him "Cowboy," even though he was born in New Jersey and had "never been west of Chicago in my life." He speaks with a Southern accent and rides a motorcycle when he's not in a squad car. He favors country music and, in the early seasons, was often shown wearing a Waylon Jennings baseball cap. He is known for his semi-serious braggadocio and cannot leave for his shift without his "morning sit-down" in the lavatory. Despite the occasional facetious racial comment, he considers Bobby Hill his closest friend and soulmate, often addressing him as "Bobby Hill," rather than just Bobby. While close to the other members of his family, Renko's relationship with his father is fractious and contentious; however, he sincerely mourns when his father dies of cancer towards the end of season 2, but has the last laugh in the end when his father's body is inadvertently stolen along with the van it was in and later dumped in an alley among a group of winos where Belker is working undercover. Renko aspires to become a detective, and has taken college courses towards that goal. In season 4, he marries the former Daryl Ann McConnicke, and together they have a daughter, Laura Ann; unfortunately, the marriage collapses after affairs on both sides in season 7.

(James B. Sikking, 1981–87)
In charge of the Emergency Action Team, Hunter loves to postulate and theorize about the degeneration of society. A decorated marine and a veteran of the Vietnam War, Hunter tends to speak in an overly complex manner similar to that of Sergeant Esterhaus; however, unlike Sergeant Esterhaus, he rarely thinks about or seems to understand the consequences of some of the things he says, especially relating to social, racial, or ethnic subjects and situations, and often comes across as extremely patronizing. When he speaks to Lieutenant Calletano, Hunter cheerfully infuses his speech with Spanish words and phrases, occasionally to the latter's frustration. Though generally suspicious of poor immigrants, Hunter, in later episodes of the series, often expresses admiration and respect for ancient tribal practices and artifacts. Hunter is a very capable officer and an expert in weaponry; nevertheless, his handling of many an inanimate object (e.g., a paper towel dispenser) often results in comic situations. His attempts to acquire sophisticated weaponry (such as the PANDA "urban tank") often fail spectacularly and only serve to hinder his career ambitions (one such incident directly resulted in him being placed dead last on the captaincy list). Despite these mishaps, however, Hunter is held in high regard by almost everyone at Hill Street. He rarely sees eye to eye with Captain Furillo, believing that militaristic action is often the best solution to a situation, though he is bound by his loyalty to his superiors. Often he has tried to find female companionship, but he has never been able to keep a steady significant other; the longest relationship he has had was with nurse Linda Wulfawitz in season 3. He also had lunch dates with both Lucy Bates and Fay Furillo in season 4 that proved major disasters. He joined the police department directly following his service in Vietnam, wearing badge 1146 in the Midtown Precinct; while there, he was compelled to serve as a bagman for dishonest officers, and the later revelation in season 4 of that activity embarrassed Hunter to the point of attempting suicide (an act circumvented by J.D. LaRue). Initially a sergeant, he is promoted to (or perhaps merely re-written as) lieutenant early in season 1 without it being overtly mentioned. In season 7, Hunter shows questionable judgment in a fatal off-duty shooting and is demoted to sergeant (becoming the new desk sergeant, ending his Roll Call with a succinct "dismissed") before eventually being restored to lieutenant and commander of the EAT.

(Betty Thomas, 1981–87)
For much of the series, the sole female officer who is given story lines. Initially restricted in her duties, presumably because of her gender, Lucy is immediately rewritten as a tough, capable officer when she is partnered with Joe Coffey. Lucy and Joe have somewhat of a love-hate relationship, and she is often judgmental of his off-duty behavior. An effective officer, she occasionally finds conflicts of conscience in her work (including one episode in season 2 where her compassion for a prostitute she was about to arrest caused her to turn her back while the girl took a narcotic fix and overdosed). Though she tries to be "one of the boys," she is at times highly judgmental of her colleagues. After a brief stint as desk sergeant in season 4, following the death of Esterhaus, she returned to motor patrol with the arrival of Sergeant Jablonski; she also assumed desk sergeant duties during emergencies and following the reinstatement of Hunter's lieutenancy near the end of the series. She eventually adopts a child, Fabian, the biological son of a drug-addicted mother.

(Kiel Martin, 1981–87)
A talented undercover officer whose great skills as a detective are constantly marred by his drinking, his womanizing, and his get-rich-quick schemes (such as "Saloondromat" — a bar and laundry — and his promotion of narcoleptic comic Vic Hitler). His recurrent battles with alcoholism have put him at odds with recovering alcoholic Captain Furillo, to the extent that Furillo nearly had LaRue dismissed from the police force for arriving to a major undercover operation inebriated. Though his sobriety eventually remains in check, he continues to have problems with Internal Affairs: J.D. cannot resist scams and constantly wants his friends to invest in schemes of marginal legality. LaRue is an inveterate practical joker, sometimes targeting Hunter's paramilitary escapades, but in one episode (season 5, "Washington Deceased") when the tables are turned on him, it seems that he can't take it as well as he dishes it out. He regularly hurls insults at Belker, and there are quite a few times when he says things without thinking, not realizing that such remarks make people angry with him.

(Taurean Blacque, 1981–87)
A former football player whose career ended due to a knee injury, Washington is the partner of LaRue. He is a very good undercover officer, much respected by his captain. Though Washington admits that he learned almost "everything I know" about undercover from LaRue, LaRue's drinking, schemes, and libido cause him no end of trouble. (He even feels compelled to remind LaRue on several occasions about the penalties for statutory rape, once when he facetiously said he had three words for his partner, "statue tory rape".) Neal's trademarks are a toothpick in the side of his mouth and a habit of referring to people as "babe" or, when he is angry, "sucker!" His nickname for his partner is "Lover." When frustrated by LaRue, he usually turns his head and mutters "Ohh, maaaaann..." He develops a promising relationship with a young woman during the sixth season, only to be shot in the back by her pre-teen son during an argument (an attack which he survives).

(Rene Enriquez, 1981–86)
Colombian-born but a naturalized American citizen and former Marine, Calletano serves as Furillo's "right-hand man" (and Chief Daniels has recognized him as such). His fluency in Spanish often comes in handy, especially in dealing with Hispanic youth gangs such as the Diablos. Ray often has uneasy conversations with Howard Hunter, the latter of whom uses occasional Spanish words to ingratiate himself to Ray. Though he has reached the high rank of lieutenant and Furillo depends on him for any number of things, Ray's leadership abilities are sometimes called into question (even by Furillo himself). Ray is jealous of the attention lavished by Furillo on Henry Goldblume. When he is eventually promoted to captain of the Polk Avenue Precinct, his leadership problems follow him, and an explosion of racial tensions at Polk Avenue result in him being relieved of command and made an advisor to Chief Daniels. By the end of the series, Ray has resigned from the force and is instead providing Spanish-language training to the police.

(Jon Cypher, 1981–87)
The chief of police – formerly an inspector and the captain of the 23rd Precinct – has many men under him, but he seems to pay special attention to Frank, partly because he had worked with Frank before he became chief and partly because Hill Street is the most dangerous precinct in the city. Daniels respects Furillo's integrity, though it often frustrates him as it interferes with what he considers effective policy or political expediency. Several times he accuses Frank of disloyalty. Though not provably corrupt, Daniels is an opportunist with very little conscience. Because of his traditional approach to police work (which includes a lack of interest in the civil rights of suspects), Daniels finds a kindred spirit in Howard Hunter, though Hunter is not within the Chief's inner echelon. Ray Calletano finds the Chief particularly irritating. Daniels is often concerned about the status of racial diversity in the department, though his worry is related solely to the image of the department rather than to a genuine concern for civil rights.
Daniels's wife is first referred to as Anne, then as Cora.

(Ed Marinaro, 1981–86)
A patrol officer who is partnered with Lucy Bates. Lucy is attracted to Joe, but is in constant judgment of his off-duty lifestyle, which she considers to be that of a "lounge lizard." Joe, a Vietnam veteran, is well-liked by his colleagues. Because of his large stature, he is usually the one chosen to break down doors when necessary. Coffey holds the unusual distinction of being killed twice during the course of the series; his first death was changed into a severe injury when the producers decided to make Coffey's character Bates' regular partner.

(Barbara Bosson, 1981–86)
Frank's pesty ex-wife. In early seasons, she made frequent visits to the precinct house to harangue Frank about things such as alimony, child support, the exploits of their son Frank Junior and her own life problems. In season 3 after one such harangue had begun, Furillo lost his temper with her and forced her to come to terms with the fact that since they were no longer married, she shouldn't keep coming to him for solutions. She became less shrill and developed new life interests; she also became involved with and pregnant by Judge Paul Grogan and delivered a baby girl in season 4. Fay later became romantically involved with Goldblume in season 4 and, to a lesser extent, Detective Garibaldi. Her relationship with Joyce Davenport (ex-wife to current wife) is covered infrequently during the series, but after a rocky start (especially when Frank Junior appeared to prefer Joyce to his mother), they seem to have come to an understanding and even a friendship, though not a close one. In his excited moments, when he is defending his ex-wife to a third party, Furillo will occasionally slip and refer to Fay as his wife. Fay is rarely intimidated by anyone and can display a rather devastating right hook; she also takes karate lessons on season 4 that prove extremely effective on one occasion. Her screen time was dramatically reduced, and ultimately eliminated without fanfare during the season 6.

(Robert Prosky, 1984–87)
An "old school" cop who takes over from Sergeant Esterhaus after the latter's death. He is transferred from Polk Avenue after a physical altercation with a female officer, replacing Bates as desk sergeant in the process. Well-respected by the men, though he does not inspire the emotional bond that Phil had. Lives alone except for his dog, Blackie. Instead of urging his officers to "be careful out there," he encourages his people to "do it to them before they do it to us"; in season 6, this is tempered to "They're getting away out there!" His angina progresses to a heart attack early in season 7, requiring coronary artery bypass surgery and forcing him into retirement. Post-retirement, he continues to spend time with his former colleagues during their off duty hours and occasionally provides assistance when the opportunity arises.

(Ken Olin, 1984–85)
A transfer from the Midtown Precinct, Garibaldi is willing to bend rules to make a bust. He spends his nights in law school classes, juggling his schedules so that he can complete law school in four years. Partners with Detective Mayo. Fatally stabbed in season 6 while heavily in debt to loan sharks from gambling losses.

(Mimi Kuzyk, 1984–85)
Much more "by the book" than her partner, Detective Garibaldi, and very defensive of her police practices. Well respected by her peers. She approached the married Captain Furillo, who politely declined a romantic relationship. Chief Daniels became infatuated with her in season 5 after reviewing a videotape of her being undressed by a predatory dentist; when Mayo rebuffed his advances, Daniels tried to have her kicked off the force, until Furillo intervened. Returned to Midtown at the beginning of season 6.

(Dennis Franz, 1985–87)
Buntz is an effective officer and an excellent marksman, but he often cuts corners and uses questionable tactics. His manner is loud and full of as much profanity as television would allow at the time. On his first day on the Hill, he convinces a captain in another precinct to retire so that Ray Calletano can take his captaincy and leave the Hill and he, Buntz, can function more effectively in his new precinct. Buntz develops an uneasy relationship with Sid the Snitch. Due to his aggressive style, Buntz is frequently the target of internal investigations; in one case, a corrupt Internal Affairs investigator sets Buntz up, using Buntz's record to make the set-up appear real. In the last episode, he punches Chief Daniels — who had been publicly calling for his dismissal — in the face. Disgraced and unemployed, he moves to Beverly Hills, California with Sid and becomes a private investigator — the premise of the short-lived spin-off Beverly Hills Buntz. Buntz is very similar in character to Franz's previous character on Hill Street Blues, corrupt Detective Sal Benedetto of Midtown Vice.
"Guido" refers to his nickname at his previous assignment. As he tells Captain Furillo on his first day on the Hill, though he is of German ancestry, he looks like "such a Guinea." (Furillo diplomatically ignores this comment.)

(Robert Clohessy, 1986–87)
Transfers to Hill Street in season 7. Turned in his partner, an old friend of Lieutenant Buntz, earning his enmity. Romantically linked with Sergeant Bates, Officer Russo, and, later, Grace Gardner.

(Megan Gallagher, 1986–87)
Transfers to Hill Street in season 7. An able patrol officer, but Tina also works undercover from time to time, which is how she first comes into contact with J.D. (who is unaware that she is also a police officer). Russo gets into some trouble for sleeping with a criminal whom she is investigating, rather than merely "seducing" him at length. Later mentored by Belker; briefly linked romantically with Flaherty, though she is reluctant to make their affair public.