Page 24 - December 2019 FOP Magazine

Portraits by Peter Bucks
Tributes to officers from the CPD Officer, Lodge 7 member and renowned artist
‘They become your family’
n BY AMBER RAMUNDO
If ever an expert was needed in a game of “cops and robbers,” Michael Mal- ecki would be the guy. The Chicago Police Department officer of 25 years has plen- ty of experience rushing to the scenes of active bur- glaries, trying to track down criminals.
Many of these pursuits have taken place late at night, as Malecki spent roughly the first 17 years of his career working mid- nights, starting when he was assigned to the Fifth District upon his hire on Aug. 1, 1994.
But before the days of chasing robbers and pre- venting crime in his home- town began, Malecki served Chicago in a different ca- pacity, with a job supplying ships on the Great Lakes. It wasn’t until Malecki’s older brother, William, became a CPD officer that he decided to consider a career in law enforcement himself.
“He was the one who kind of put it in my head shortly after to follow in his footsteps in the police department,” Malecki remembers. “I always liked to help people, and I kind of took that into account when I applied for the job.”
The demands of the job came naturally to Malecki, who was quickly assigned to drive an unmarked incident car in 005, re- sponding to the scenes of burglarized storefronts and residenc- es. At one point, Malecki and his partner tracked down the sus- pects responsible for a series of car hijackings on the South Side. His work apprehending the individuals involved cleared the cas- es of 32 stolen vehicles.
While the officer grew accustomed to actively chasing crime at night, he knew that when the sun was rising at the end of a midnight shift, it was time to put the job aside to make the most of his time with family.
“I tried to get to bed right when I got home, so I’d be rested and able to enjoy the day with the family,” Malecki describes. “One thing I never did was bring the job home. Once I was done working, that time was for the family.”
24 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ DECEMBER 2019
In 2005, Malecki was selected to join the Area South Midnight Gang Team, made up of officers from the surrounding dis- tricts. The gang team of 10 became family as they worked together to pre- vent crime and keep the streets safe.
“We did a lot of great work. It was awesome,” Malecki proudly shares. “You got to understand what each person was go- ing to do in certain situa- tions. They’re the people you’re with day in and day out, so they become your family.”
After six years on the gang team, Malecki trans- ferred to the Fourth Dis- trict in 2011, where he was put back on the bur- glary beat working in plain clothes to track down leads. No matter where the job has taken him, Malecki always remembers the ad- vice his brother once gave him — advice that has in-
fluenced his approach to the job every day.
“The best advice that he gave me was to treat every- ody the way that I would want to be treated,” Malecki says. “I kept that with me throughout my career with the
people I’m dealing with on the streets and also my coworkers.” The brothers did get the opportunity to finally work togeth- er before William Malecki’s retirement in 2018, when they both volunteered to work overtime for the CPD Violence Reduction
Initiative.
Now, looking back on 25 years of service, Malecki takes pride
in the work he’s done and the teams he’s been a part of. The of- ficer has also accumulated a long list of achievements, includ- ing two Crime Reduction Awards, four Life Saving Awards and a Unit Meritorious Performance Award — not to mention a tally of honorable mentions that reaches beyond 300. For all of these accomplishments, Malecki credits those he’s worked with for making all the difference.
“I’m proud of the work that I’ve done over my career,” Mal- ecki shares. “If I had to leave the job tomorrow, there’s nothing I would feel I left behind other than the friends that I’ve made.”
MICHAEL MALECKI
Star #10075
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