Chicago Street Cop: Amazing True Stories from the Mean Streets of Chicago and Beyond

''A retired Chicago police officer who served as a SWAT sniper, gang specialist, and undercover agent recounts his time on the force. ''Growing up, author McCarthy dreamed of joining the Chicago Police Department like his father and great-grandfather. He wanted to clean up the meanest streets of the city. As a street cop, McCarthy thrived on patrolling the worst neighborhoods in Chicago at the worst times of night. Wanting more, he eventually transferred to a special operations team and served as a SWAT sniper and a gang specialist before teaming up with the FBI on a special task force to combat Asian crime. Whether disguised as a female prostitute or as a drug addict, McCarthy often seemed fearless. Still, he makes it clear that as a cop, one is often scared--one just must face those fears every day. The debut author doesn't pull any punches describing some of the disturbing things that he witnessed during his many years as an active-duty police officer in one of the country's most volatile and vibrant cities, including damaged drug addicts, rotting bodies, and the murder of a fellow SWAT officer by a shooter holding an elderly woman hostage. Chapters focusing on particular investigations, like one involving a triple murder and a gang known as the Maniac Latin Disciples, are packed with memorable details told in a distinct voice that will remind readers of films like The Departed. Occasionally, some awkward stereotyping creeps into his recollections; e.g., 'Most citizens have no idea how nuts and insane some people are when they're buzzed up and out of control... Surprisingly, women can be some of the worst.' However, despite these unfortunate moments, McCarthy's voice is that of one of the good cops out there, speaking on behalf of his often underappreciated fellow officers and the high levels of stress they encounter on the job. A gritty memoir that gives readers a cop's perspective on Chicago crime.'' -- Kirkus Pat McCarthy had one of the most amazing careers in law enforcement history. His twenty-six years in law enforcement included working a high-crime south side district, and special ops handling unique assignments such as a sniper on the SWAT Team of the Chicago Police Department. His experiences also included five years as an undercover cop in Chicago's Gang Crimes Unit. McCarthy worked eleven years as a special federal investigator with a top-secret security clearance with the FBI, deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service to work on three separate federal task forces. Asian Organized Crime and Asian Gangs were McCarthy's specialty for six years. He was a two-term president of The International Association of Asian Crime Investigators, working cases all across the U.S. and Canada. McCarthy developed and teaches ''Street Crimes,'' the fastest growing law enforcement training seminar in the country, and produced the Street Cop DVD training series. Both can be viewed at StreetCrimes.com.