Monique Jeffries is a tough and street-wise detective with the
Special Victims Unit of the
New York City Police Department. After briefly partnering with Ken Briscoe (Chris Orbach), she becomes the permanent partner of
John Munch (
Richard Belzer) after his previous partner,
Brian Cassidy (
Dean Winters), leaves the unit. The two occasionally clash personalities and have a sarcastic rapport with each other. While chasing a rape suspect during one case, Jeffries is nearly killed when the suspect gets into a car that explodes. She initially appears traumatized by the incident, but later feels exhilarated over having survived and starts behaving recklessly. She has several
one-night stands with multiple partners (sometimes together) and takes greater and greater risks at work, becoming something of a loose cannon. One night at a bar, she meets a man who had been a suspect in a previous rape case and has sex with him. When she reveals the incident during a session with a police therapist, she is taken out of active duty per
One Police Plaza and works a desk job. She objects to the transfer and threatens to sue the department. Instead, she is transferred to the Vice department, and her old job in the Special Victims Unit is taken by
Fin Tutuola (
Ice-T). ==Development==