Page 20 - July2021

Portraits by Peter Bucks
Tributes to officers from the CPD Officer, Lodge 7 member and renowned artist
‘I always liked helping people’
n BY ROSEMARY AN
Chicago Police Department Financial Crimes Investigation Unit Detective Amy Mogel- berg never planned to become a law enforcement officer. She was working in the pharmacy of a hospital and had become friends with some of the secu- rity officers when she learned that they were preparing for the police officer exam.
“They dared me to go with them,” Mogelberg explains. “Just to get me out of my com- fort zone. I always liked helping people, so I went in there think- ing it would be an adventure.”
Mogelberg, who was 27 years old at the time, didn’t study for the exam but passed on the first try. She felt like it was meant to be.
“I believe everybody has their path,” Mogelberg reveals. “This gave me an opportunity to help a lot of people. I was [also] a single mother, so it helped me provide for my daughter, who was 3 years old. And here I am, 19 years later.”
She came on the job in 2002 after being hired by the Chicago Police Department. Before becoming a detec- tive, Mogelberg served as a school resource officer and a field training officer. As Mogelberg was moving up in the ranks, she relied on her mother, Debra Nawracaj, to take care of her young daughter.
“We’ve always lived in a multigenerational building,” Mogel- berg says. “It’s very old-school. I’m Polish. That’s how we are. You either live in the same building or you literally live on the same block, if not next door.”
Mogelberg had family at work, too. When she worked in the 9th District, she was alongside her godfather, Jack Golab, who was also on the job. Although they did not necessarily work the same cases, she was happy to see a familiar face every day.
“I was training the new officers that were coming on the job,” Mogelberg remembered. “And just to show them the different [generations], like, ‘Here’s an older officer, my godfather, then here’s me and now here’s you.’ It was nice.”
As a detective, she worked with the American Civil Liberties Union to develop an investigator stop program. She also edu- cates people on how to obtain credit reports and freeze their
20 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JULY 2021
credit. Although she had nev- er envisioned her life to be the way it is now, she is thankful that she is doing what she had always dreamed of — helping people.
“I never imagined I’d end up in financial crimes, but I always liked numbers,” Mogelberg mentions. “And then COVID hit, a lot of financial crimes are happening, and now I’m really, really able to help people a lot.”
Mogelberg solves financial crimes regarding unemploy- ment, Paycheck Protection Pro- gram loans and identity theft. One of the major lessons she has learned is that the transi- tion into the digital age makes it easier for vulnerable people, like senior citizens, to be taken advantage of.
“Nobody really looks at that aspect of everything,” Mogel- berg says. “I feel like there’s a transition happening from street-level crime to [financial] crime. Like, why should I stand on the corner and sell drugs for hours when I could steal some-
body’s identity and make thousands of dollars in 15 minutes?”
To be able to continue solving financial crimes, Mogelberg says she must stay updated with current trends in technology by using social media, attending
trainings and talking to other officers across the nation. She is constantly looking for new information or resources to better serve the city.
“As technology evolves, it opens up new possibilities, and you have to keep up,” Mogelberg notes. “Even on TikTok, they’ll show you how to clone credit cards. I talk to other officers across the nation, asking, ‘What do you see happening by you?’ or ‘This is what’s happening by us.’ It’s challenging, but I like a challenge.”
Mogelberg’s success on the job can be attributed to her resil- ience. Of all the characteristics to have, she believes resilience is key, because law enforcement officers often run into tough situ- ations and need to keep moving forward.
“You see some of the worst things in the world,” Mogelberg clarifies. “You see people at their worst. Having resilience, both emotionally and mentally, and being able to bring yourself back down to base level is [important]. And don’t take things home with you. Tomorrow is another day.”
AMY M. MOGELBERG
Star #20405 Unit #604