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serve? And then an idea just popped in my head. Why don’t I just run from district to district?”
Swiderski started planning this expedition to meet officers where they serve and protect, to run through the same streets where they run toward danger, with his father, Robert Sr., a re- tired CPD officer. They decided the best route would be to start at his parents’ house on 64th Street and Narragansett Avenue, and work his way east, then south, then north to stop at all 22 districts in the CPD. Some of the legs would stretch more than 6 miles, and a 5.8-mile stretch from 014 to 016 took place from 3:15 to 4:30 a.m.
His father worried about how strenuous the route would be. But Swiderski was determined to go the extra mile, no matter how physically demanding.
“‘Dad, it doesn’t matter,’” Swiderski remembered telling him. “‘This is what my heart is telling me to do.’”
District after district, Swiderski made his stops. At first, he was elated about the overwhelming support he was receiving from the officers at each district. In the 16th District, where Swiderski arrived as he reached the 59-mile mark, officers showed their
A look at the route Swiderski ran to stop at all 22 districts in the Chicago Police Department.
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