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On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department

Daniel P. Smith
Lake Claremont Press (2008)
ISBN 9781893121126
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (12/08)

The author of “On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department,” Daniel P. Smith, grew up in a Chicago Police family.  With two of his great uncles, two of his uncles, his father, and his brother all being members of the Chicago Police Department, Smith definitely has an inside look into the department and its officers.  Smith himself chose a different career path as he says that he lacks “the assertive nature necessary to become a cop in one of the world’s most dangerous cities and the mental makeup to challenge a city notorious for its criminal action.” (p.1) Despite his decision not to join the “family business,” he still finds the department to be very intriguing and chose to write “On the Job” to share with us “the interworkings of one of history’s most storied professions in one of the world’s most storied cities and to do so in the most truthful of lights.” (p. 4)

I found the stories in the book to be very engaging and enjoyed getting a glimpse into the lives of the officers in the department.  One of the most interesting things in the book to me was in the beginning where Smith prints a chart of all of the calls received on one particular Saturday night shift in Chicago’s West Side 11th District.  The sheer number and nature of the calls is staggering.  Every couple of minutes there was something different.  Right at the beginning of the shift there was a narcotics call, two minutes later there was a criminal damage to property, after two more minutes a domestic disturbance.  This fast pace continued on for the entire shift with not a moment’s rest. 

“On The Job” is a well-written and informative account of real-life police work in one of the nation’s largest cities.  The photographs peppered throughout the book really add to the book’s authenticity.  The personal stories of the various officers are definitely ones that should be read.  Anyone interested in police work or in the city of Chicago will enjoy the inside look that Smith’s “On the Job” delivers.  

 

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