Dick Tracy, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Dick Tracy n.

[the cartoon strip created by Chester Gould in 1931 for the Chicago Tribune/New York News syndicate; ult. dick n.⁵ (2) + SE trace / ‘typical’ Irish name for an ‘Irish’ job]

a police officer (usu. male), esp. a detective; also a term of address.

1956		‘James Updyke’ [W.R. Burnett] It’s Always Four O’Clock 96: Something had happened to Walter, all right; and it didn’t take any Dick Tracy to figure out what.
1959		E. De Roo Go, Man, Go! 149: If you ain’t get a search warrant, Dick Tracy, don’t search!
1969		J. Crumley One to Count Cadence (1987) 220: You know what that mother said [...] That crooked fucker [...] that head Dick Tracy.
1984		J. Ellroy Because the Night 203: ‘No shit, Dick Tracy?’ ‘If I'm lyin', I'm flyin'. Talk, Hubert’.
2000		M. Collins Keepers of Truth 164: And, damn it if you’re not a regular Dick Tracy, Bill.
2021		P. Papathanasiou Stoning 156: ‘Look, Dick Tracy, save it. [...] I didn’t kill her’.