Ask the Author: If you were to start this project now, what new element would you want to address?

(From Eileen at the Roden Library on Feb. 25, 2009)

Answer: When the book came out in early 2008, Jody Weis had just taken office as superintendent, only the second outsider to ever inhabit the post. The impact of that decision is something I would have enjoyed exploring because I believe it shows the political nature of the police department and puts that idea in a present-day context.

When O.W. Wilson took the top cop post in 1960 as the city’s first ever outside chief, it was largely driven by falling public support in the aftermath of the Summerdale Scandal. Mayor Daley the First needed to show his “reformer” side and nothing says reformer quite like an outsider. Flash forward 47 years, and Mayor Daley the Second steals a page out of his father’s playbook in the wake of the taped barmaid beating, a second barroom scuffle involving officers, and the Special Operations scandal. Though the appointment of an outsider has its merits (no allegiances to the good ol’ boys and a fresh set of eyes), the political nature of Weis’ appointment cannot be denied and would have made for interesting conversation.

Ask the Author is a running series of live audience or reader questions directed at On the Job author Daniel P. Smith. The series, which appears each Monday, is aimed at providing greater insight into Smith’s work in researching and writing On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department as well as the book’s content. A speaker noted for his energy and engaging style, Smith is available for presentations at a wide range of events, including private book clubs, Citizen Police Academy meetings, libraries, senior centers, and schools. Please contact him directly at smithwriting@gmail.com to schedule an event.