On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department
Inspired by his family's roots as Chicago Police members, award-winning journalist Daniel P. Smith draws the curtain to reveal the officers of the Chicago Police Department and their personal stories. Whether on the frontlines of a bloody battle over gangland turf or at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, from officers who battle personal demons to those who celebrate the adrenaline of the chase, this resource peers into a world of individuals...
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The Chicago Police Department is a mythical and legendary law enforcement unit as well as a closed-door society. In On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department, Daniel P. Smith draws the curtain to reveal the officers and their personal stories. Smith, an award-winning journalist and the product of a Chicago Police family, explores the work/life juxtaposition of the men and women-mothers and fathers, realists and idealists, cynics and consolers-who don the Chicago Police star.From officers on the frontlines of a bloody battle over gangland turf to those at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, from those who battle personal demons to those who celebrate the adrenaline of the chase, On the Job peers into a world of individuals trying to simultaneously balance work demands with the demands of their own private lives. Far from the imaginative portrayals sprouting from American televisions, On the Job shares the honest and sincere stories of those who carry the Chicago Police star alongside their life's ambitions, responsibilities, and realities.
Roll Call 1The Chicago Way: Police Work in the Urban Landscape 5Imagination Meets Reality: Officer Brian Spreng 17Frontlines: Officer Dave Kumiega 23Shots Fired: Detective Miguel Rios 29Stepping Stones: Officer C.K. Rojas 37Leaving the Job Behind: Former Officer Art Hannus 45Travels: The Journey of the Chicago Police 51Evolution: Retired Officer John O'Shea 69Walkin' Pete: Retired Sergeant Bill Jaconetti 79Different Worlds: Former Deputy Superintendent Joe DeLopez 87Uncle Willie: Retired Officer William Calabrese 95Who Are We? Organization and Culture of the Chicago Police Department 101All I Ever Wanted to Be: Retired Lieutenant Cindy Pontoriero 115Inviting Crime: Officer Rick King 123The Mayor of O'Hare: Retired Officer George Salituro 129Send in the Dogs: Officer Bob Rawa 137Sharing the Job: Detective John Folino Jr. 143Police Work, the Person, the Life, and the Spirit 149Separate Worlds: Sergeant Beth Russell 161Twelve Steps to a Better Cop: Detective Jim Rohrlack 169A Black and White Issue: Sergeant JoeBarnes Jr. 175Faith: Detective Mike Cummins 183Meaningful Work: Father Tom Nangle, CPD Chaplain 191Last Call 197Endnotes 201Index 205Acknowledgments 211About the Author 213
\ From the Publisher"Taking on no easy task, Danny Smith gives us a compelling journey into the hearts and minds and even the souls of those urban soldiers we call cops. As real and wild and fascinating as the streets they travel." —Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune and WGN radio\ "An excellent and much needed addition to the literature on the Chicago Police Department. With this study, Daniel P. Smith provides an insightful and thought-provoking look at those beneath the star, the challenges of the profession, and the remarkable city these officers call home." —Frank Kusch, author, Battleground Chicago: The Police and the 1968 Democratic National Convention\ “Turn off CSI and see what police work is really about. Daniel Smith has successfully opened the door to the private entrance of the Chicago Police Department. On the Job is an emotional and heartfelt journey inside one of America’s oldest and most respected police departments. This story is one that only a member of the family could tell.” —Lee Lofland, author, The Book of Police Procedure and Investigation\ "Told with sensitivity and candor, On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department is both inspiring and tragic. The story of everyday police officers serving on the front lines reveals the human side of the job. Mr. Smith has weaved a fine narrative on the inner workings of a secret, oath-bound brotherhood, the impact of this job upon their personal lives, and what it really means to be one of 'Chicago's Finest.'" —Richard C. Lindberg, author, To Serve and Collect: Chicago Politics and Police Corruption from the Lager Beer Riot to the Summerdale Scandal, 1855-1960\ “Tells the real story of Chicago police. Chicago is like a small town in which Smith, because of his own background and credentials, was able to get cops to share their stories, which are too little told. Here is an honest dialogue which those of us who care about this city and others are privileged to read. On the Job fills an important gap in our oral history as a city and as a people.” —Dick Simpson, head of the department of political science, University of Illinois at Chicago, and former Chicago alderman\ "In a cop's world, the one truth is making it through your tour of duty alive—everything else is just a matter of interpretation. Armed only with an unflinching eye, Danny Smith invades that world to discover the truths, examine the shadows, and interpret the culture of those who hold the line. A must-read for anyone interested in the real story behind the blue." —Gina Gallo, author, Armed and Dangerous: Memoirs of a Chicago Policewoman\ \ \
