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At 9 p.m., most people are ready to call it a night, but for Officer Mike Archocosky, it is the beginning of his work day.  He is one of five Marquette police officers on duty for the overnight shift, a grueling schedule that comes with its own set of unique challenges.

"The most challenging thing is just adjusting to a sleep schedule," explained Archocosky. "Keeping up with the home life while getting enough sleep to go to work."

"If you don't get your proper sleep and diet, you come to work and you're not 100 percent.  That can reflect on your job and it can also let you make mistakes, and a mistake in our line of work can be a very costly one," said Blake Rieboldt, Patrol Captain of the Marquette Police Department.

After a briefing and a few follow-up phone calls, Archocosky is ready to patrol, and tonight he'll have me [Eric Kane] along for the ride.  But before hitting the streets, we decided an honorary mug shot was in order.

It's a Thursday, which is typically a busy day for a cop in a college town.

"A lot of our calls on the midnight shift are fueled or instigated by alcohol or other drugs," Archocosky said.

Our first call is to an apartment where a man has reportedly passed out in a hallway with a loaded rifle in his hand.  When we arrive, Officer Archocosky talks with the neighbors who reported the incident.  Meanwhile, officers inside took possession of the gun and arrested the suspect.

For the remaining of his shift, alcohol and drugs seemed to be the common denominator in all his responses.

After 2 a.m., after last call, the Marquette police try to keep somewhat of a presence on Washington Street, just to keep the peace and make sure that everyone gets home safely.

Ensuring people get home safely is one thing...finding a way to get them inside after they locked themselves out is another.

Some guests at the Ramada Inn were evicted after hotel workers suspected the smell of marijuana, and those suspicions were confirmed by a K9 unit.

Unpredictability seems to be the mainstay of Archocosky job.

"Sometimes you do make a difference, you get to help somebody, you get to make their night a little better. That goes a long way, a lot further than a lot of people think," Archocosky reflected.