Page 22 - APRIL 2019 FOP MAGAZINE

Portraits by Peter Bucks
Tributes to officers from the CPD Officer, Lodge 7 member and renowned artist
‘That’s what I signed up for’
■ BY AMBER RAMUNDO
One might think Joe Djon- lich has seen it all while work- ing with the Chicago Police Department. From starting his career in the 24th District, to spending 13 years in the 20th District and transferring to O’Hare International Airport just a year ago, there’s hardly a Chicago setting that Djonlich hasn’t served.
He’s uplifted children in communities, helped the el- derly, calmed anxious travel- ers and dodged more bullets than he’d like to count. Still, Djonlich says each day offers something that surprises him, and the passion that he start- ed the job with remains fully intact.
“It was never about the power of the badge and the gun. I just enjoy helping peo- ple,” Djonlich states. “It’s about trying to make a differ- ence in some way over every eight-hour shift I work.”
Djonlich was born to two
immigrant parents from Cro-
atia in 1971. Throughout his
childhood, he lived in Rogers
Park and Evanston until his
family settled outside the city
in Niles. Though he lived in the suburbs, Djonlich and his family remained active in Rogers Park, where the Croatian community has kept them close to their roots.
JOE DJONLICH Star #14125
Djonlich has always had a way of creating positive rela- tionships with the people he assists on the job. After re- sponding to a wellness check on an elderly woman, Djon- lich made a point of visiting the 90-year-old every day for months to make sure she was OK. His outreach in the community continued in 024, where Djonlich would often take time out of his day to play catch with kids in the park. The children let Djonlich know that his presence in the park was more than a fun time for them; it was keeping them safe from gang members who lurked around the area.
But being a CPD officer has not always been so uplifting. Djonlich knows firsthand how the job can turn from routine to life-threatening within sec- onds. This was the case when Djonlich and his partner faced a hijacked car speeding at 80 mph in their direction. When the car made a sudden turn and crashed, the officers thought the worst was over — but the driver emerged from the totaled vehicle with a gun in the air, firing bullets aim-
lessly in their direction.
“I was lucky enough to get behind the squad car and
“I spent most of my life in Rogers Park because I was very involved in the Croatian culture there,” he says.
It just so happened that when Djonlich was first hired to the CPD in November 1999, he was assigned to work in the familiar territory of 024. It didn’t take long for Djonlich to confirm that this was the career that he was looking for — something that he was passionate about and that provided him with the security he needed to start a family.
One of Djonlich’s proudest moments from early in his career resulted from a kidnapping incident. Djonlich was searching a beach on foot when he spotted the 11-year-old girl, who had been taken by a group of males. The parents of the young girl were overjoyed when the CPD officers returned her home safely.
“It made me feel good that she got reunited,” Djonlich re- members. “The family was very appreciative.”
22 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ APRIL 2019
take cover while bullets were flying past my head,” Djon- lich details. “That was probably one of the scariest moments. We were on our way to the station and then there we were, two
minutes later, in the middle of a shooting.”
Djonlich has learned how important it is to cherish each mo-
ment with his family after being involved in three incidents with shots fired, including one failed attempt at a police ambush.
In March 2018, Djonlich changed scenes again, to unit 050 at O’Hare International Airport. But even as Djonlich’s environ- ment has changed, his priorities on the job remain focused on two things. First, his family, which he is thankful to return to ev- ery night; second, his commitment to making Chicago a better place, no matter in which capacity he serves.
“That’s what I signed up for,” Djonlich says. “Whether it’s in a car, in the airport or on the street, we can make a difference and help people. That’s what it’s all about.”