"The Detail" is the second episode of the first season of the HBO original television series, The Wire (2002-2008). The episode was written by David Simon from a story by David Simon & Ed Burns and was directed by Clark Johnson. It originally aired on June 9, 2002.

Detectives Moreland and McNulty discuss murdered witness William Gant with the coroner. McNulty believes the Barksdale organization had Gant killed to send a message to people in the projects not to testify against them; Moreland, who is the primary investigator on the murder, is skeptical that anybody would kill a witness after they had already testified. McNulty visits Judge Phelan to inform about Gant. Based on Phelan's pressure, Deputy Commissioner Burrell orders Lieutenant Daniels to let McNulty work the case, hoping to keep the murder of a witness quiet. Mollified, Phelan agrees not to call the media about the murder.

Daniels and his detail arrive at their new office - a damp basement with little furniture. The rest of the detail is introduced, but Daniels soon dismisses them all as useless "humps", especially after officer Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski accidentally discharges his weapon indoors. When Daniels visits ASA Pearlman to complain, she tells him that Prez was nearly indicted for shooting his own patrol car. Daniels confides that he feels that Burrell sent him a message by not allowing him to pick his detail. Daniels meets with Lieutenant Cantrell and convinces him to assign Detective Leander Sydnor (Cantrell's best man) to the detail to counterbalance Prez (his worst).

Detectives Carver, Greggs, and Herc surreptitiously photograph Bubbles as he marks Barksdale dealers by pretending to sell them red hats. When Greggs brings Bubbles in to identify the photographed drug dealers, McNulty is impressed with the technique and surprised by the scale of the Barksdale organization.

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