Editor’s Note: Police1 “First Person” essays are the place where P1 columnists and members candidly share their own unique cop’s-eye-view of the world, from personal insights on issues confronting cops today to observations and advice on living life behind the thin blue line. This week’s feature is from our friend, Police1 Columnist and Street Survival Seminar Lead Instructor Jim Glennon, who recently retired from the force after 29 years of service. Do you want to share your own perspective with other P1 Members? Send us an e-mail with your story.
By Lt. Jim Glennon
Lombard (Ill.) Police Department
I’ve been “outed.” Unbeknownst to me, Doug Wyllie, the excellent editor of this Web site, prefaced my most recent article with a short but sweet paragraph congratulating me on my recent retirement. He wished me well in my future endeavors that are approximately 75 percent related to the Calibre Press Street Survival Seminars and its parent company, Police1. Thanks Dougie. [Editor’s Note: I can count on one hand the people I allow to call me “Dougie” and the author of this particular essay is one.]
I wasn’t sure about writing an article about my retirement, mostly because 99.99 percent of the people who read this Web site don’t know who I am, or really care about my thoughts about retirement. But for that .01 percent who may still be interested, thanks to the aforementioned Mr. Wyllie, here goes.
I wanted to be a cop for 24 years and got to be one for 29+. My girlfriend at the time picked up an application for the Lombard PD (she didn’t want me to be a Chicago Cop like my dad and my grandfather) but I didn’t even know where the town was.
“It’s by that mall,” she said.
So, I took the test and got hired.
I spent the bulk of my first 3½ years on the night shift, which was quite the eye opening experience. All young guys (Styx, Mark, Jose, Chuck, and others) full of testosterone chasing drunks and complaining about stuff we didn’t know anything about. Man, were we dumb and cocky.
I’ve had five Chiefs. A couple were just plain terrible but luckily they stuck around for a very short period of time. The best one was my first: Bill Hogan. Bill was a tough-as-nails former Marine who could scare the hell out of you. Hogan was a cop’s cop. He had a coffee cup that had “Head Honcho” stenciled on it although the chances were incredibly remote that anyone had any doubt about who was the boss.
I didn’t always agree with Bill, but that’s mostly because I was an idiot kid at the time and could only see the world through my immature Night Shift mentality. The thing about Bill was this: he was a man who told it like it was while looking you straight in the eye. He pulled no punches and whether you agreed with him or not you could count on two things: he’d be straight with you and he absolutely cared about his officers. He took care of us even when we didn’t know he was doing it. He held us accountable and he backed up line officers if they were in the right. Thanks Bill.
I spent half my career in Detectives. When I was assigned to my first of three tours in 1984, Lt. Ron Balgemann, a great guy, was the Commander. He did have a Sergeant as his assistant but, Ron made it very clear immediately who actually ran the Division: Detective Dane Cuny. Ron gave me the best opportunity and advice as I started my career in Investigations. It was this: “I’ll put you with Dane, and just do everything he does which is usually: figure out who did it, pick him up, and get him to confess.” And that was exactly what Dane did.
I always said that whatever shift I was on was my favorite shift and I really meant that. But...
...In 1996 I was promoted to lieutenant and was immediately assigned to Command Investigations. Over the next six years I had the best group of detectives in the damn state and yes I’m biased but I will still argue the point. Dave Kundrot was my sergeant and organized the Unit and counterbalanced my numerous shortcomings when it came to logistics. Dave is also a brilliant manager, understood the law exceptionally well, restructured an unstructured mess left for him by his predecessor and is one of my best friends.
The Detectives were great almost beyond my ability to describe them: Ray Vasil, John Malatia, Paul Nevara, Cyndy Abenante, Scott Heim, Tom Wirsing, Dan Belanger, and Carl Alagna were the core. I could spend pages talking about each one but suffice it to say; they were damn good. They had a slew of informants, understood the law, initiated cases for drugs and prostitution, solved virtually every major case and always thought outside of that proverbial box. And because of that thinking they set United States Supreme Court Precedence concerning Investigative / Informational Roadblocks: ILLINOIS V LIDSTER 540 U.S. 419 (2004). You can look it up. I sincerely thank you guys for making me look good and you know that to be the absolute truth.
Dan Neustadt was a partner lieutenant, a friend, and someone I looked up to. He also allowed this Irishman to vent when I needed it and I thank him for that.
Some officers distinguished themselves by their sheer drive, and it paid off in assignments and promotions. Besides the above there is Roy Newton. Roy told me the day he graduated from the Academy (where I taught part-time) that he wanted to “be the best” and teach some day. Roy is now one of the very best and is a coordinator at the Academy and a Sergeant in Detectives. Oh yeah, and he was intricately involved in the abovementioned LIDSTER case as he made the actual arrest. Too many other officers to mention proved to be outstanding cops and I was proud to be associated with them.
Finally, I want again to mention now Deputy Chief Dane Cuny. Dane was my second Field Training Officer and in all honesty I learned more from Dane in a week than I did over the next five years from everyone else combined. I give myself credit for one thing: being smart enough to pay attention to Dane. “Go after the small stuff and you’ll come across the big stuff” is what he told me on my first day with him and damn was he right.
Eventually Dane made sergeant and stayed in detectives which was fitting since he ran the Division anyway. When he made Lieutenant I made Sergeant at the same time. Together with Sgt. Dan Neustadt, Dane set a tone that saw our Night Shift make over 300 DUI arrests a year after the entire department made only 120. He did this by listening to the ideas from the shift officers almost all of whom went on to detectives by 1996. Dane was the first boss I ever heard say: “We have to listen to them. They know more than we do about what they can and can’t do.”
Almost too simple isn’t it?
Dane Cuny is the smartest cop that I personally know. He was a tremendous detective and interviewer. He’s a forward thinker who understands everything from radios and car engines to weapons and ammo. He has a tremendous working knowledge of computers and has actually schooled the professionals about hard drives, software, flux capacitors, Johnson rods, and other such techno-geek stuff. We nicknamed him “MacGyver” when, as a Deputy Chief, he crawled under a car and put a homemade tracking device on the engine block of a drug dealer’s car we were trying to follow (all legal by the way).
But what Dane knows more about than anything else is people. He is a true Leader. Given free reign Dane is excellent at picking and assigning based on talent. He knows when to get involved and when not to. He understands and works with his Commanders allowing for differing personalities and needs. He treats people as valuable assets and bends over backwards to take care of the troops. I believe Dane is going to be one of the finest Chiefs in law enforcement and any department that gets him is luckier than they can possibly know. What is great about the Lombard Police Department is a legacy to Dane, his efforts, and his foresight. He almost singlehandedly pulled us out of mediocrity and made us one of the best. I thank him the most.
So there it is... 30 years in 1,000 words. Again, I apologize for not mentioning everyone — there just is not enough time or space. But understand: it does not mean I don’t recognize your value. I do.
I’ll miss roll calls the most — the laughing, the bitching, the teasing, the food. Noreen and Paula bringing in cookies, brownies, and cakes and then refusing to eat any of it because of... Well, you two know why — the pants thing. Terry, keep up the good street work and thanks again for the party.
I thank you all. I will miss most of you. I’m proud to have been a small part of what I still consider to be the best police department in DuPage County, Illinois. Please stay safe my friends and please do stay in touch.
jg
