Chicago PD A Personal Journey

By Edward McCloskey

The author completed a 31 year career working as a patrolman, detective and sergeant with the Chicago Police Department and now he would like to provide you, the reader, with graphic insight into many of his personal experiences from the streets that he worked. This book details his career and contains an eye witness account of happenings that have occurred during an interesting time in Chicago’s history. Some of these happenings include stories working as a patrolman in Cabrini Green, during it’s most violent period, his detective division investigations, including serial killer, John Wayne Gacy and his assignments as a sergeant, including working as a gang tactical team supervisor. There are also stories about the sergeant during his time at the FBI National Academy in Quantico. A lot of people wonder what police work would be like for them and question how they would react under a given situation You will have the opportunity to read about his experiences and decide that for yourself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jun 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781483485157

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CHICAGO PD

A

PERSONAL

JOURNEY

EDWARD MCCLOSKEY

Copyright © 2018 EDWARD MCCLOSKEY.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-8516-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-8515-7 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 5/11/2018

Like a centurion in ancient Rome, a policeman stands in the midst of human disorder, drenched in the blood, sweat and tears faced each day in the tempest of life.

Reverend Thomas Nangle

Chicago Police Department Chaplain

Introduction

Over the years while working as a Chicago Police Officer, occasionally an incident would occur that would cause me to consider I have to put this in my book not really believing of course that I would ever actually write a book. The reason being, that not many others would really care about what I have experienced, or more precisely, not many would believe it, probably assuming that I am making it up and if I didn’t witness some of it myself, I might think the same. Life is stranger than fiction; I have come to learn the truth of that particular proverb.

In retrospect, something I should have done was to carry a camera while I was working. During my career camera phones did not exist, so it would not have been quite as simple as it is now to take a photo. Also, it was a violation of department rules to have a camera in your possession while working. Had it been more convenient, or had I decided to violate that rule I would have had visual proof to corroborate a few of the more outrageous stories, but now the images remain only in my memory. When I consider the multitude of opportunities that have presented themselves and if it is true that a photo is worth a thousand words, I could have considerably improved my effectiveness in writing this story.

Many books have been written about law enforcement, both fiction and non-fiction and each one tells a version that is different from the others. This book details the career of a single person and contains an eye witness account of happenings that have occurred during an interesting time in Chicago’s history. Some of these happenings include stories of Cabrini Green, during its most violent period and my Detective Division investigation of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. It’s about my experiences as a police officer from the time I joined the Chicago Police Department in 1966 and continues through four decades as a patrolman, detective and sergeant. The majority of what will be described is from personal knowledge, but some will be events as they were related to me at the time. All the happenings will be factual and include as much detail as my memory will allow. We each have life experiences that we cannot move past, memories we can’t let go and traumas that are forever present. As they say, time is tricky, we don’t remember days we remember moments and most of my lingering images came from what I witnessed while working on the street. Several of the names have been changed or not mentioned to avoid the complications associated with using them. A lot of people wonder what police work would be like for them and question how they might react or perform under a given situation. You will have the opportunity to read about my experiences and then decide that for yourself.

My particular time on the job involved periods of some historical significance, both locally and nationally. It began during a time of social change, including the recent birth of the Black Power movement, unrest associated with the Viet Nam War, 1968 Democratic National Convention, civil disobedience following Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, the formation of more serious street gangs, urban renewal and politics. It was a time filled with fear, violence and corruption and although it changed my perspective on life, it was also rewarding to have been in a position to personally witness some of these changes.

This was a time of transformation in America with a variety of divisive and controversial issues, but not like the past where changes took time to become apparent, this was more like a tidal wave bringing with it a rebellion that changed our way of life. There was a new kind of music, hair styles, clothing, psychedelic drugs and The Age of Aquarius, where phrases like Let it all hang out and If it feels good do it, helped lead the sexual revolution. Chicago’s bohemia was the area of Old Town not on the same scale as San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury, or New York’s Greenwich Village, but well known enough to attract others looking for change.

The Chicago Police Department has continued to transform and the changes have been substantial, but they have also been slow to happen. People in general are resistant to coming out of their comfort zone and cops like change even less than others. This is one of the reasons that officers assigned to some of the most crime infested Police Districts remain there for their entire careers, many working the same watch, even the same assignment. Better the devil you know, I guess!

The Chicago Police Department’s Code of Ethics begins with the words, As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind. I know that sounds a little trite, and even though it was not required, I memorized the entire code almost immediately. I did it because I believed in what it said and I was proud to be a member of this department.

This story is really not about me, it’s about the job and my experiences doing it. Every police officer has experiences and they are never identical. This is the type of work where nothing repeats itself exactly the same, that’s what makes it so interesting and looking back on my memorable (at least to me) career, it seems as though I have faced more than my share of incidents. This book could have been written as a combat veteran’s memoir but I don’t like to compare police work with what a person in the military faces. This is a different job, although at times it can feel like a war.

The events as they are described in this book may appear at times to be disorganized, but I have included them in the chronological order that they occurred to the best of my knowledge. There are also a number of brief historical digressions which I hope will assist the reader into a better understanding of that particular focus of concentration. As you read, you will find that virtually every chapter reaches a conclusion, followed by another chapter with a different story to tell.

Sharing some of these happenings is my way of showing life from a perspective that most of you will never know, not that that is necessarily a bad thing. The majority of what a police officer does is rather mundane, not any great accomplishment and not something that most others cannot do themselves. But, the fact is that most others would prefer not to do it. As I mentioned, police work can be fun, and it can also be satisfying, rewarding, disappointing, dangerous, dirty, nauseating, and adrenaline filled. Much of what happens on the street and comes to an officer’s attention is beyond their control, but a lot can also depend on the individual himself. Each officer has a certain amount of influence over some situations. If the officer is aggressive, attentive and conscientious they will be involved in much more than someone who does not make that extra effort. In police work, something crazy can happen at any moment and usually when it’s least expected. I found that crime in the real world was more distressing, intense and bizarre than I had ever expected. This is a job that offers the best and worst of humanity, sometimes in the same day.

The times have changed and there has been an evolution in law enforcement. When I first came on the job, I was told how much better it was before, that I came on too late and how it would never be the same again. That could be true to some extent, but I can only relate to what I have witnessed and that is the substance of what I am providing.

Chapter

1

Twenty years of vaudeville and a new car every few years. That’s one of the first memories I have from veteran police officers describing this new job to me and I later learned that this statement held a lot of validity. Another early memory was something that had happened on the street. I cannot recall the circumstances, but there I was, standing in uniform, apparently staring at something with my mouth open, when another officer, far older and wiser than me at that moment, nudged me with his arm and said hey kid, did you think this job was on the legit? I looked at him and he was smiling. I remember smiling back and saying, Yeah, I guess I did. In later years, even after I made detective, I would on a rare occasion run into this officer and he would sometimes say the same words with the same smile, and we would share a laugh together. I could not remember what it was that we were staring at that prompted his question and I never asked, because maybe not knowing made the moment more enjoyable to think about.

The officer that was standing next to me had a nickname of Ziggy and he had witnessed a lot over his years. He was a wagon man, meaning that he was assigned to a squadrol, (paddy wagon) which at the time was used for all kinds of transporting. This included hauling prisoners, injured persons, dead bodies and occasionally groups of police officers, sometimes all on the same day. He worked with two partners, one who I later learned lived far outside of the city which was against the rules and either drove or took the train to work each day. The second partner worked part time at a funeral home driving a hearse.

I once asked Ziggy what his worst experiences were working the wagon. He said there were three, but only mentioned two. One was the Our lady of Angels School fire on December 1, 1958, in which a total of 92 children and nuns died. The second was a serious elevated train accident in the Uptown area, also occurring in the 1950s. I know how horrible both of those tragedies were and I can only imagine how difficult his memories must have been. There are some things you never get over.

Chapter

2

Most twenty-two-year-olds are naïve about life, myself included, which of course I did not realize at the time. That’s about the age that many people begin to seriously enter the working world and their perspective on life begins to change somewhat. Many of life’s experiences are the result of the person’s lifestyle and environment and most of these experiences would be considered normal including those of a police officer, until the time he reports for duty.

It doesn’t take long for an officer working in a large city like Chicago to stop seeing life through those same rose colored glasses. Just working a beat car (which is what most officers do) and answering radio assignments will place officers in unusual and sometimes difficult situations. Officers who are more aggressive in their patrol duties, or who work special assignments will likely find themselves involved with much more serious problems.

There was a time when I did not understand that working as a Chicago Police Officer meant being on The Job, but then, as it turned out there was a lot more I didn’t understand at the age of twenty-two. I was not familiar with most police colloquialisms before I joined the department in 1966, but this vernacular slowly becomes incorporated into an officers every day vocabulary at least during working hours. The problem with using police slang away from the job is that it often requires further explanation to others who either don’t understand or don’t appreciate what you’re attempting to communicate. Simple words such as soft, snaky, poochie, or mickey the mope, can be used to describe a certain type of individual, including another police officer, and using a brief expression like that to another officer provides the information that you’re attempting to convey without expending a lot of additional verbiage. Most professions have words or terms that are more familiar to those that they work with, but what makes Chicago police jargon particularly interesting is because it’s what Chicago cops say. Many lines of work are different from others, but not many have the potential to change at any moment, sometimes requiring an officer to make an instantaneous decision that may be argued in the courts for years to come. I was on the job for thirty-one years, four months and twenty-seven days. I don’t think it’s unusual that I remember my exact date of hire, I believe most police officers will remember their date also. Ever since the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) became the bargaining unit for patrolmen and detectives, your date of hire became your seniority date which is important when it comes to things such as job bidding, watch assignments, etc. But, even before the union, the date of hire was significant, at least for me. I have always appreciated the fact that I was selected to attend the Chicago Police Academy. I realize that like many other applicants, I passed a written competitive test, physical examination, and background check and therefore due to my efforts deserved to be hired. But still, I have this deep appreciation for whatever the circumstances were that led to my first day on the job, although technically as I was to later learn, saying you’re on the job does not apply to recruits, because recruits first need to be accepted and acceptance requires spending some time on the street.

I would assume that one of the reasons I have such an appreciation for being given this opportunity, is because of the experiences that the job has provided over the years. I’ll have to admit that there have been some difficult moments and a few days I would like to forget, but for the most part it’s been enjoyable. In fact, there were times when it’s been so enjoyable, that I have said and have overheard others say these same words, Can you believe they pay us to do this? I would do it for free. The reason for these words would probably have been some extreme sight or other occurrence, followed by either a shaking of the head or a huge smile. Believe me, it can be that much fun! Of course fun like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and someone else’s idea of being amused may differ considerably from that of a police officer. I think it’s usually one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments.

What would it be like to be a police officer, especially in a large city like Chicago? Many people ask themselves that same question, especially with all the movies and television shows depicting their version of what an officer does during his or her eight-hour shift. Some of what you see is close to reality but most is absurd, because the media has its own agenda, including entertainment and politics. So then, what is it really like? As I mention more than once in this book, fact is stranger than fiction and you can’t make this stuff up. Real life police work can be boring, thrilling, shocking and amazing, sometimes all in the same day. It can be better than a movie, because you are there and part of the action. A good movie scene keeps your attention and gets the adrenalin pumping and so does what happens in real life. Incredible events take place every day in Chicago, usually several times a day, it’s a big city, but they do not happen to the same officer time after time. Most police work is quiet and routine, but a lot will depend on the individual, because each officer has a certain amount of control over the action they get. As I mentioned earlier, if an officer is aggressive, attentive and conscientious, they will be involved in much more than someone who does not make that extra effort. Although with police work, something crazy can happen at any moment and usually when it is least expected.

One hundred-ten Chicago Police Officers were killed in the line of duty during the years that I was on the job and the majority of them died of gunshot wounds. Just during the 1970’s which was an especially violent period for the police, forty-three Chicago officers were killed and of that number thirty-one were shot to death. I knew some of these officers personally and I was present at the time when some of them were killed.

Chapter

3

I will provide a very brief history of the Chicago Police Department, which will bring us up to the approximate time I joined the force; Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 and in 1855 the City Council formally established the Chicago Police Department. There were three police precincts and three station houses. The first was located on State Street, between Lake and Randolph Streets. In 1860, Detectives were created to investigate and solve crimes. In 1861, authority to control the police department was given to three police commissioners and they created the title of Superintendent of Police, which was later changed to Commissioner and then back to Superintendent again in 1960. Unskilled Irish immigrants were hired in large numbers as recruits and the first African American officer was appointed in 1875. Women were hired as matrons in 1885 to care for female prisoners and it has been widely accepted that Marie Owens, who was hired by the Chicago Police Department in 1891 was the first female police officer in the United States. Owens’ job was to enforce welfare and child labor laws. In 1913, Alice Clements was appointed to the Chicago Police Department and eventually promoted to be the first female detective.

In 1960, following a major police (Summerdale District) scandal, Mayor Richard J. Daley hired Orlando W. Wilson to head a committee to find a new police commissioner and in the end, O.W. Wilson himself was selected to become the Superintendent of Police. Wilson, who was 60 years of age when he was hired, brought with him years of experience in both the academic and law enforcement field. Wilson insisted on and was provided considerable latitude, permitting him to make significant and drastic changes in the department, including tightening discipline, hiring additional personnel and making promotions to provide for closer supervision. In an effort to reduce graft, Wilson insisted on pay increases for police officers which also helped to strengthen his plan for an improved, professional department. Wilson left the department in 1967 and James B. Conlisk Jr. was appointed his successor.

Scandals were not associated strictly with the police department. Chicago ain’t ready for reform, was a smug announcement made by legendary alderman Paddy Bauer in 1955, following Richard J. Daley’s first mayoral victory which added to the continuation of Chicago’s culture of corruption. Since that time, federal prosecutors have conducted investigations involving hundreds of local officials, including over thirty Chicago aldermen who have ended up in prison for committing various criminal offenses.

Chapter

4

It was September 1966 and the year had already been quite explosive in Chicago with a police shooting that sparked the so-called Humboldt Park riots and Richard Speck shocked the nation by killing eight student nurses in one night in the townhome that the students shared. I was 22 years old, recently dropped out of college, working a job as an assistant restaurant manager at a once famous landmark Chicago Hotel, the Edgewater Beach, on Sheridan Road. The job was actually more fun than work and not something that offered any long-term potential. My childhood friend, who had recently returned from the Navy, suggested that we take the upcoming Chicago Police exam. At the time, I probably approached the job with both confusion and unrealistic expectations as to what it actually offered, since this was not a choice that I had previously considered, but not knowing where my life was headed at the moment; I took his suggestion and completed the necessary application process, followed by all the required testing. Before long I received a letter of congratulations and was given a date to report for training at the Chicago Police Academy, 720 W. O’Brien Street, in the heart of the old Maxwell Street Market Area.

Don’t look for the address because it no longer exists, the building with all its history was demolished in the name of progress in 1975. In 1966, the CPD Training Academy was located in this building, a former Chicago Public School that was once used as a hospital for soldiers returning from battle in the Civil War. The date inscribed high on the front of the building was 1858 and although it appeared to be in good repair, it did seem an odd choice for a police academy and I suspect that City finances somehow entered the equation. I actually found the building itself and its surroundings to be a fitting location, because the City and its police history were all part of the training. The school had survived the great Chicago Fire of 1871 that burned for three days, killed hundreds, destroyed over 4 square miles of property and was considered one of the major U.S. disasters of the 19th Century.

Maxwell Street was located just one street south of the Academy. This street also held some of Chicago’s history with its outdoor food stands, legendary polish sausage sandwich and the Maxwell Street Flea Market, made famous for its sale of both new and resale items, including some of questionable title. Also, located a short distance away was the former Maxwell Street 7th District police station, dating back to 1888. Built out of limestone with three-foot thick walls, it has the appearance of a fortress and continued to be used by CPD until the 1980’s when it was taken over and renovated by the University of Illinois. The building was also once used as a back drop for the beginning scene each week in the popular 1980’s Hill Street Blues TV series.

Chapter

5

My academy class was divided into two groups which were identified as 66-18-A and 66-18-B and they were all male. At that time, Chicago Police Patrol Officers as was true with most departments were male only. Female officers were on the job, but they received specialized assignments that involved non-patrol duty. This changed in 1975, as I will explain later. Actually, there was a class of female officers who were in the academy and completed their training at about the time of my arrival. Being brand new and slightly overwhelmed, there wasn’t much time for interaction. An occasional smile or a nod and they were gone before I knew it.

Academy time is also when police friendships begin to form, some lasting an entire career. Small groups will hang together and spend time talking about what they think it’s going to be like on the street. Some of the recruits come from police families and others have police friends which provide them some insight as to what they may expect. There are also the TV shows and the movies which can be entertaining, but in reality do not begin to prepare you for the real thing. The fact is, no matter how much you think you know or how equipped you believe you are, it’s not the same, usually not even close to what it’s really like on the street.

One of our first classroom visitors was a purported psychologist who made an outrageous statement that twenty five percent of the class would be fired before the training was completed, because they were emotionally unstable and unfit to be police officers. Turns out nobody was fired until after graduation, (more about that later) but his announcement did create some initial concern, wondering to whom among us he was referring.

I enjoyed my time at the academy, finding most of the training both interesting and entertaining. There were courses in law, arrests, search and seizure, rules of evidence, defensive tactics, and Chicago history. There were also real life, very graphic films and photos of crime scenes, autopsies, auto accidents, etc., some of which were obviously difficult to look at. But, then it was time for the best, war stories from the instructors who, although now assigned as teachers, had many years of street experience in varied assignments. The stories did not require note taking and there were no tests; just tales from the past, along with warnings of what to expect in the future.

The academy taught everything that was technically required, but occasionally some of the instructors would speak off the record and explain how sometimes things are handled a little differently on the street. They never went into explicit detail and only suggested that some things being taught at the academy may not always be the best or most efficient way to solve a problem. We were reminded that police officers are always in the public view and told to remember that when we are out there riding around in uniform in a marked squad, to try and think of ourselves as being in a fish bowl and consider that somebody is always looking, so when we get an urge to do something brainless like pick our nose, remember what was said and try to resist the temptation.

There was also discussion about some of the Chicago’s Blue Laws, which were city ordinances from the past that were either off the books or no longer enforced. It used to be a violation to fly a kite within the City limits, or to sleep under the sidewalks. This ordinance actually reached back to a time when Chicago sidewalks were made of wood and raised above the street level, allowing for drunks and homeless people to move in under the sidewalks to escape the weather. Then there was the Ugly Law, which made it illegal for persons with unsightly or disgusting disabilities to appear in public. The goal of this law was purportedly to improve the quality of life for the community and was part of the Beggar Ordinances and although no longer enforced, was not repealed in Chicago until 1974. It was unfortunate that the Ugly Law did not apply to personalities, because I ended up meeting a few on the job that I definitely could have charged.

Firearm training began after a few weeks. This would be something that most recruits anticipated with nervous excitement. Practice was always competitive and every shooter wanted to score higher than the others.

About midway through the training, recruits were permitted to purchase their weapons, which were officially called service revolvers. There were numerous discussions with both the instructors and each other that preceded the firearm purchase, because most recruits were not all that familiar with the available choices of weapons, including manufacturer and caliber and the options available to us were somewhat limited. My weapon of choice was a blue steel, six-shot, .357 Smith & Wesson Combat Magnum, which was and still is a fairly impressive firearm. CPD officers were only permitted to carry revolvers as their duty weapon. A secondary firearm such as a semi-automatic pistol could also be carried as an addition to the service revolver, but then only after completing your probationary period and then qualifying to carry it. The only ammunition officers were permitted to load into their service revolver was a 158 grain round nose cartridge. This bullet was not very popular with the police, because it didn’t have much stopping power. After roll calls, which may include weapon inspection by the Watch Commander, some officers including myself would change their ammunition to something more lethal like a hollow point bullet. This is now the ammunition that is currently carried by all CPD officers, so I guess some of us were more forward thinking than others.

Academy firearm training took place at the only CPD firearm range, which to the surprise and amusement of many was located beneath Soldier Field Football Stadium. You would enter the range through a normal appearing doorway, but once inside it took on a rather primitive appearance, almost like a large cave which was divided in half by the range and a classroom setting. I assume that there was an exhaust system, although it wasn’t very obvious as large plumes of gunpowder and smoke would hang in the air for the longest time following each round of firing. Considering the precautions that are currently taken regarding lead poisoning it must have been a fairly unhealthy situation, especially for the instructors who worked there each day. Once training was completed, it was then necessary to meet State of Illinois requirements in order to qualify. This qualification was necessary once each year, but because of the limited range availability it was suggested that officers should practice at private gun ranges as often as possible between qualifications. In later years, when newer police facilities were built, a number of firing ranges were included in the construction which made firearm practice much more convenient.

Police report writing was initially taught at the academy, but surprisingly not a great amount of time was expended on this rather important part of the job. I guess the officer was expected to learn this particular skill as part of their on the job training, but unfortunately some failed to do so. Uniformed patrol officers were required to write the factual narrative account of a crime, explaining to the best of their ability when, where, how and why the crime occurred. The information to be included in a General Offense Case Report. as they were called at the time, would normally be comprised of one or two pages. Rarely would a preliminary investigation report contain three or more pages, after all, uniformed officers are only reporting the preliminary part of the investigation. The more involved and usually significant details will be included by the detective in his follow-up investigation, which is described in the Supplementary case report. I worked with a few officers who refused to write a second page, regardless of the nature of the crime and then there were sergeants whose responsibility it was to examine the reports for content and clarity, but would end up supporting the officer’s actions by adding their approval signature to an obviously flawed report. I was fortunate to have worked with a partner who taught me to turn each report into a short story that explained in sufficient detail all the necessary facts that the reader would require in order to fully comprehend exactly what happened at the time the crime occurred and I really learned to appreciate the necessity for this information after I became a detective and had to initiate each of my investigations with the information provided in the beat officer’s report. Another important point to mention is that if an arrest reaches the trail stage, an officers report can be questioned in court proceedings by the defense attorney, so it is extremely important that all of the reports are correct and consistent in order to defend a potential challenge.

Just like most classroom settings, recruits break up into small cliques, studying and hanging out together during academy time. I hooked up with John and Craig, who were each a few years older than me. The two had been friends for years and somehow (probably though connections) were hired at the same time. Craig was a workout fanatic and as a result had the physique to prove his efforts, and was able to do one arm push-ups with ease. Most of the academy instructors were patrolmen and detectives who were detailed to the academy as needed from their regular assignments. Five of the instructors also taught defensive tactics, were well versed in the various martial arts and each had a reputation for inflicting pain on their students. During the initial meeting with them and following introductions, Craig who appeared to be the fittest of the class was selected as the first example the instructors used to display their own ability and provide a glimpse of what we may be confronted with on the street and how to defend against it. Much to his chagrin, Craig was the first of many to be subjected to the painful instructions including one of their favorites, come alongs which would later prove to be somewhat helpful. That’s when you hold the resisting person’s arm alongside yours while bending the wrist downward and then walk the person in the direction you prefer while saying the words come along.

During later training, most students quickly learned to feign being hurt while being subjected to one of the pressure holds by another of the students. But this act had to be believable, because the instructors being obviously aware of the possibility of a theatrical performance would pay close attention and if they doubted your authenticity, would walk over and ensure that you actually suffered by sufficiently adding to the pressure being applied, driving the student to his knees.

A few years later, one of these instructors who had a reputation for being the most brutal of the group, (always with a smile) was assigned to work with me on my beat car. He had left the academy and was now assigned to the Youth Division and detailed to the 018th District for the summer months. There are unwritten rules in the department and one of them is that when another officer has been temporarily assigned to work with you on your patrol beat and even though the two of you are the same rank and he may even have additional time on the job, it is more or less accepted that you are unofficially in charge for that day. But, if working together continues for an extended period of time, then this assumed authority ends and it all kind of evens out. I found it initially disconcerting that this officer was working with me on my beat car especially with the not too distant memories of his position of authority at the academy, but to my pleasant surprise this previously threatening individual turned out to be both agreeable and likable. During our subsequent conversations, we talked about various things including how I was enjoying the job and his method of training