Page 22 - October 2019 FOP

Portraits by Peter Bucks
Tributes to officers from the CPD Officer, Lodge 7 member and renowned artist
n BY AMBER RAMUNDO
Nights at House of Blues Chi- cago were known to come to life when the hard rock band Phosphene was on stage with Andrew Cantore manning the drums. Putting on a body-rock- ing, show-stopping set has al- ways been part of Cantore’s rep- utation. Over the course of his music career, the drummer has been known for spinning sticks without missing a beat, whether playing local shows, rocking out at the Warped Tour or backing up major artists including Al- ice Cooper, Korn and the solo career of Charlie Wilson (of The Gap Band).
What the audience may not have ever expected about the hard rocker was that when shows ended, Cantore often made a quick transition from setting the beat to walking it as a Chicago Police Department officer.
“I was able to headline a show and then go into work just a few hours late and still work the majority of my midnight shift,” Cantore remembered.
ANDREW CANTORE Star #5022
ferred from the 15th District to the Police Academy, where he helped instruct an import- ant in-service training to help officers navigate difficult sit- uations on the job, write thor- ough reports and face accusa- tions in court.
“It was a time where this type of training was needed,” Cantore said of the use-of- force training that has become mandatory for officers. “We needed more experts and more important information being passed on to members.”
Though spearheading the program with Snelling quali- fied Cantore as a much-needed additional use-of-force expert for the CPD, the officer con- tinued to find ways to improve and further his impact. His pursuit of knowledge eventual- ly led him to join the CPD Legal Defense Team and the Griev- ance Committee. Cantore was also elected as trustee on the Chicago FOP Board of Direc- tors in 2017.
‘An expert in training’
Cantore’s rock-star-by-day, first-responder-by-night
lifestyle began in March 2009, when he decided to rise
to the challenge of a new beat, one that provided him
with a steady income and ample opportunity to help others.
At the start of his career working in the 15th District, Cantore put his focus on becoming a stellar officer, but it wasn’t long before the music scene started drawing him back in. A perfectionist at heart, Cantore decided that he would be able to do both and ar- ranged his schedule so that he could thrive in both musical and municipal settings.
“After six years on the job, music just started calling to me again,” Cantore recognized. “Once we started planning our own tours, I was able to rotate my schedule and make sure the times worked out. I would have to use up all of my vacation days to make it happen.”
Cantore was at the height of his music career when the offi- cer was introduced to Larry Snelling, a CPD veteran and the sole “use-of-force” expert for the department. Snelling was starting up a new use-of-force program for officers on the job and asked Cantore to be his second-hand man. In 2016, Cantore trans-
22 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ OCTOBER 2019
“I always refer to myself as an expert in training,” he ex- plained. “I don’t think training is ever done. You have to continually assess and educate yourself, which is kind
of the one thing that is just in me.”
In January, Cantore decided to put his knowledge back
into action by returning to his role as a street cop, this time in the 25th District. As Cantore returned back on the beat, the officer was reminded that there’s no better way to learn than through real experiences on the job.
“You’re putting stuff into practice that you’ve been studying,” Cantore said. “Now it’s hands on.”
Whether in the academy or on the streets, Cantore’s passion for the job comes from sharing his knowledge with other officers to reinforce their confidence on the job. He insists that, just like playing the drums, the key to success is commitment, consis- tency and the power of discipline through practice.
“The ultimate goal is to not only know that you did something right, but being able to explain it right,” Cantore said. “It’s al- most like writing the article that really gets the message across, or painting the picture that really captures somebody, or going on stage and showing everybody how much you love to play the drums.”