Armed and Dangerous: Memoirs of a Chicago Policewoman (Illinois) by Gina Gallo

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Armed and Dangerous: Memoirs of a Chicago Policewoman (Illinois) by Chicago Travel Books

Armed and Dangerous: Memoirs of a Chicago Policewoman (Illinois) by Gina Gallo
Price: $15.95

Features

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Forge Books April 6, 2002

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0312878907

ISBN-13: 978-0312878900

Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches

Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
Gallo's streetwise memoir--her first book--of policing Chicago's roughest neighborhoods blends equal parts humor and regret. A Chicago cop's daughter, Gallo completed a master's and began a career in psychology, but Reagan-era cutbacks directed her onto her father's path. Intending to work as a police therapist, she was instead unceremoniously assigned to the patrol division and became both a decorated officer and something of a trailblazer as one of the first women to receive high-risk tactical assignments. Gallo astutely considers the female cop's unique circumstances: male partners deride her femininity yet capitalize on it during domestic calls; romances with civilians seem doomed. The elusive "feminine" qualities, feared by old-boy police officials, benefited her performance, while the misery of the streets apparently took a greater psychic toll than on her male counterparts. Gallo's fresh perspective counters typical TV images of cops, as she describes the experiences of "[t]hose who muddle along trying to do the right thing." She gives devastatingly effective accounts of relations between "brother" officers and of trying to avoid being perceived as a "bimbo with a badge" or a "dog cop" (lazy or irredeemably greedy). Weaker moments occur in the melodramatic re-created crime-scene dialogues. Gallo is at her best when straightforwardly detailing the earthy minutiae of "cop life" or casting about for the emotional costs of being both witness and enforcer amidst the violence of the inner city. (Mar.)Forecast: Given the preponderance of TV shows and movies about the police and the scarcity of unadorned every-cop accounts, Gallo's book could appeal to a broad readership if prominently displayed in stores (the guns on its cover will be a draw). Author appearances at Chicago-area bookstores and police-related community events will garner regional interest.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Review
“Gallo’s streetwise memoir of policing Chicago’s roughest neighborhood blends equal parts humor and regret. Gallo is at her best when straight forwardly detailing the earthly minutiae of ‘cop life’ or casting about the emotional costs of being both witness and enforcer amidst the violence of the inner city.”—Publishers Weekly

“A taste of life as a big-city cop—complete with comedy, drama and heartbreak.”—The Chicago Tribune

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Armed and Dangerous: Memoirs of a Chicago Policewoman (Hardcover) Armed & Dangerous is an excellent book whether you are considering a career in law enforcement or not. Gallo begins her story with her father, who was shot on Easter, describing the pain of being a child of a police officer. She vowed never to become an officer, but life's circumstances forced her to change her mind. From there, she takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride from her days at the Academy to the day she resigned from the Chicago Police Department. Her depiction of the Academy made me wonder if this was fiction because I couldn't believe the brutal fashion in which the trainers handled future officers. A few of them left the Academy with permanent disabilities and no chance at a law enforcement career. She tells us how the rest of them made it through that grueling period, by banding together and forming a team. Being a team player is the most important skill in police work. I felt like I was right there with her as she described her first day on the job with a slacker for a field trainer and how that trainer deserted her when she needed him to back her up. She tells us what it was like to kill a man and what that did to her soul. She tells us what it's like to see a mutilated baby and then have to be professional in dealing with his murdering mother. And, she tells us what it's like to have to go to the same neighborhoods to deal with the same people day after day. There are lots of heartbreaking stories in this book and some incredibly funny ones, too. I found myself laughing out loud at the craziness and the stupidity of both the criminals and the corrupt officers. More often than not, however, I felt disgusted by the drug addicts and the political games of the department brass. Throughout this book, I wondered how she managed to keep her humor when faced with the pain, the terror, and the good ol' boy mentality that tried its best to keep her in the trenches. The end saddened me, but it was typical. Armed & Dangerous stripped me of all my notions about police officers and what they do for a living. Gallo is a powerful writer, and I applaud her for having the courage to write this book. Throw away those police procedural novels. They pale against Gallo's book. Comment | Permalink | (Report this)

Armed and Dangerous: Memoirs of a Chicago Policewoman (Illinois)
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Updated on 7-3-2008.