Page 20 - FOP Magazine August 2020

Portraits by Peter Bucks
Tributes to officers from the CPD Officer, Lodge 7 member and renowned artist
‘Thinking outside the norm’
n BY KAREN STAHL
Kevin Rasmussen has an artistic glimmer in his eye. Whether he’s winning side- walk chalk competitions, ea- gerly sitting in the audience of his daughter’s musicals or praising his son’s foot-high stack of monster sketches, Rasmussen lives a life rid- dled with imagination.
And his artist’s ability to think outside the box, not so coincidentally, is the very trait that has helped Ras- mussen excel as a detective in the Unit 610 Area Central Bureau of Detectives since 2017.
“Having creativity can kind of help you with think- ing outside the norm,” the detective says. “You have to stick with the facts you find in your case, but I think be- ing able to think differently than what’s expected can help you piece different parts together.”
While law enforcement is Rasmussen’s current call-
ing, he didn’t always believe policing would be his
path. The detective studied design in college, but he
ended up losing interest and leaving school. He began
working at a bar in Chicago that a couple of law enforcement officers frequented, and one of them encouraged him to take the test.
On a whim, Rasmussen decided to take the advice and apply. On Oct. 31, 2005, his law enforcement career and newfound pur- pose began.
He started working in the 24th District on patrol in Rogers Park. After three years with the 24th District, Rasmussen came on with the Mobile Strike Force unit, which was assigned to the Special Functions Group of the Bureau of Patrol. He focused on disrupting gang activity through traditional and innovative po- licing methods for a year and a half.
But as creativity waned while working in the Mobile Strike Force unit, Rasmussen made the decision to head back to the 24th District. And then in 2017, he became a detective, and he found that putting together cases allowed imaginative energy to seep back into every aspect of his life.
“When you’re on patrol, by and large, at the end of your shift, you press ‘stop,’ and that’s it. After a report, that’s the end of your interaction — sometimes you’re the resolution to the incident,
20 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ AUGUST 2020
but other times, you’re not,” Rasmussen says. “Being a detective, when you leave for the day, you pretty much just press ‘pause,’ and the next day you come back and pick up where you left off. It helps you flex your creativ- ity in getting things done, because if the case is going to be resolved or not, that’s with you.”
While the detective is highly devoted to his work and feels content with inves- tigations, he’s always been aware of the importance of having outlets when he’s off the job. That motivation to stay active outside his law enforcement career led him to compete in sidewalk chalk competitions creating intricate designs for prize money — and, of course, doing them for friends as well.
“I like having my art. Like if I have a Sunday off, I’ll take the kids over to my folks for a visit and just bring my chalk,” the detective explains. “So there’s art, and then I also do a lot of hiking and birdwatching, which I find very relaxing. Those are nice outlets to have, and it’s important to have times for that after long days of
working on a case.”
And in the winter, when there are no sidewalk chalk competi-
tions to attend, Rasmussen flexes his creativity through painting portraits, painting on old liquor bottles and creating menu signs for restaurants.
The attention to detail required as an off-duty artist has un- doubtedly aided the detective in being meticulous — both on patrol and while putting together cases — throughout his law enforcement career.
With a 15-year-old actress daughter and 10-year-old sketch-artist son, the artistic spirit is clearly strong with this family. Rasmussen gets to utilize his creative skills daily both in work and in life.
“I was never one of those people who were like, ‘I want to be a cop,’ since childhood or anything, but throughout my whole life, I just kind of got into it,” Rasmussen says. “I couldn’t imag- ine myself doing anything else now. I love being able to think outside the box at work, and I think my experiences help me to do that.”
DETECTIVE KEVIN RASMUSSEN
Star #20103 Unit 610