Oral History

Matt Levaccare

Anthony, 35

Anthony was born in Chicago and has lived in the neighborhood of Rogers Park his whole life. He has been a member of the Chicago Police Department for 10 years and has worked in many of Chicago’s toughest neighborhoods. He has a wife and one daughter. Anthony also graduated from the University Illinois of Chicago with a degree in Criminal Law.

Why did you decide to become a member of the Chicago Police Department?

All my life growing up I’ve wanted to be a police officer. Kids around the neighborhood talked about being professional baseball players and astronauts, but not me. My father was a cop and my brothers are cops so I’ve always been around them. Whenever they came in the neighborhood everyone respected them. I wanted that so bad. I knew my whole life that it was for me. Plus, that’s all I ever knew or saw. Why would I do anything different then that?

Are you ever scared going into work that something bad might happen to you?

No. You can’t ever think like that or it will interfere with you doing your job the right way. You just need to be cautious at all time and be aware of your surrounding. I’ve been doing this job for ten years now and there has been a lot of crazy shit that’s happened, but you get use to the people your dealing with.

Have you noticed change in these Chicago neighborhoods in the past ten years?

Oh absolutely. There is change in every neighborhood some good and some bad. Some get better and some get worst. Some neighborhoods are getting trashed because of city tearing down the projects. Then most of the scum are getting relocated to decent neighborhoods and turning it into a dump. That really upsets me and I can’t stand it. The whole department knows what the good neighborhoods are and what the shity ones are. Like I said you need to be aware of your surroundings.

Do you stereo-type certain people when doing your job?

You kind of have too. You know the people who are dealing drugs, and you know who the gang members are. But I do stereo-type people when trying to keep the streets clean. Most of the assumptions that we make as police officers are true. There is a difference between people who are educated and people hustling on the streets. If that makes sense to you.

Would you ever consider leaving the Chicago Police Department to go to the Suburbs because the city is too dangerous?

No. Unless my wife really harassed me too, but still probably then I would not go for it. I love the city to much, and I take pride in what I do to protect it and the people. I love Chicago and would love for it to be cleaned up. I need to do my part to keep the thugs off the street. Just because it gets a little dangerous doesn’t mean I going to bolt for the burbs. What if everyone decided to do something like that? Where would the city go from there? Like I said before you can’t think about the danger because it will affect the way you work. You can’t let that happen.