"A Rock in Troubled Waters" about the Coast Guard base at Cape May, NJ. Not sure where the Russians were being held (Ft. Dix?) but speaking of prisons and prisoners, Northwest of Cape May is a large prison farm--Bayside, near Leesburg/Maurice River. Here is where the select low-risk state inmates grow vegetables and raise livestock for milk and meat, for their own usage and for other operations in the state.
https://www.nj.com/cumberland/2017/0...state_inm.html
I imagine it could have several inmates remaining working there to ensure they have a steady source of food--interesting potential negotiations/interactions between MilGov and the Farm with security patrols traded for steady supply of rations for the Base. Perhaps the PCs might be stationed there as part of their military duty.

Speaking of pockets, would officers store firearms (backups guns, etc) in something other than a station gun safe/armory? Say, buried deep in their personal locker wrapped up in a towel or similarly camoflaged? Asking out of severe lack of policy/procedure in real-life law-enforcement operations.

Can't speak for elsewhere but it's absolutely never going to happen in Australia!

Yeah, some of the police stations in Australia don't even have personal lockers for individual officers. A lot of them don't even have specific storage, everything that needs secure storage would be sent to a regional headquarters or similar large facility (every police station will have at least a gun safe for issued firearms & ammo but not necessarily a purpose built secure storage room let alone any sort of armoury).

If you are talking about at the station, then I can only speak for those I worked for but for the most part I would say no (I say most part as when I was attached to the State Department overseas we put them in our dresser or whatnot when we were not on duty and in our residence, outside the residence we were expected to be armed so they were on us/rifles in locked office or armored vehicle). Now if you are talking about at their residence then I would say depending on location but between almost certain to no way in heck.