POLICE BOOKS - C. M. Russell

About the Chicago Police Department

On January 31, 1835, the State of Illinois authorized the Town of Chicago to establish its own police force. On August 15, Orsemus Morrison is elected Chicago's first constable, assisted by Constables Luther Nichols and John Shrigley. The three-man police force serves and protects a population of about 3,200. The Police Department pre-dates Chicago as a city.

Today, the Chicago Police Department is the second largest in the United States, serving approximately 2.9 million residents within the 228 square miles that constitutes the City of Chicago. The Chicago Police Department had, at the end of 2005, 13,323 sworn police officers and over 2,000 civilian personnel.

The Chicago Police Department is divided into 25 police districts. Each district has between 9 and 15 police beats, with a total 281 beats throughout the city of Chicago. Each of the 25 police districts is led by a district commander who, in addition to uniformed police officers, has teams of undercover tactical and gang police officers at his or her disposal. The Chicago Police Department Districts are organized into five larger organization entities called Areas. These area commanders report to the Bureau of Patrol.

In addition to the Bureau of Patrol, the Chicago Police Department has four other bureaus: Bureau of Investigative Services; Bureau of Strategic Deployment; Bureau of Crime Strategy and Accountability; and, the Bureau of Administrative services. Instead of a Chief of Police, the Chicago Police Department has a Superintendent of Police; and, the Bureau commanders hold the rank of Deputy Superintendent.

C. M. Russell was born and raised in Chicago, IL. After graduating from the University of Illinois/Chicago Campus, C.M. Russell began his career with the Chicago Police Dept. C.M. Russell has drawn upon numerous real-life experiences from this urban city to depict the situations officers face on a daily basis. This, his first book, takes the reader on a virtual ride-a-long with the officers. His account is action packed, suspenseful, and keeps the adrenaline pumping right to the very end.

According to his book, Thin Blue Line is about Power and control in the city of Chicago. The drama asks, “who is really running the streets of Chicago? A high-ranking gang member’s trial is less than a week away. Determined not to go back to the penitentiary, he decides to “tie up some loose ends”. An officer, on patrol in the area, interrupts those plans and pays the ultimate price. Now, two veteran police officers lead the manhunt to bring this killer to justice. There’s only one problem; too much red tape! Ultimately, they must choose between what is legally right and morally right.”