My break up letter with Chicago
When my star was pinned on my chest during the ceremony at the academy I had a great sense of pride and relief. Relief that the academy was over and I had made it, and pride because I had joined what I felt to be the greatest department this profession has to offer. Every kid at some point wants to be a cop…along with a firefighter, astronaut, soldier, racecar driver, and so on. I just wanted to be a cop more than most; my closest friend, also a cop, was the one who pinned my star on my chest and a huge reason I even joined the profession. The idea to become a cop was solidified at the funeral for 1st Deputy John Thomas as then Superintendent Terry Hillard talked about his friend. I could see the respect and admiration in how he spoke of his friend and colleague and I wanted to desperately be a part of that fraternal feeling. I knew the job would be hard, not just physically but mentally. I filled my head with as much knowledge on the human reaction to stress, violence, opposit