Page 27 - Sept 2017

P traits by Peter Bucks
Tributes to officers from the CPD Officer, Lodge 7 member and renowned artist
For the love of the job
n BY AMBER RAMUNDO
Roll call in the 013 was packed with new officers waiting for as- signments. The year was 1990, and Cesar Echeverria was one of the young faces in the crowd standing at attention.
As the roll call supervisor called out each name and assignment, Echeverria anticipated the pos- sibilities of the traffic violations and car chases that he might en- counter in what was then 013, before the district joined with 012. At 25 years old, fresh out of the police academy, he felt ready for anything.
“Officer Echeverria...” his ears perked up at the sound of his ti- tled being called at the start of his first-ever midnight shift “... as- signed to evidence technician.”
Echeverria’s spirits dropped slightly, knowing that instead of chasing crime in the streets, he’d be arriving to the scenes after the fact to lift fingerprints and other evidence for investigation.
“They say new cops are full of piss and vinegar,” Echeverria mused. “Well, I had that in me, but all I had to do that night was shine a flashlight on the objects that the [evidence technician] needed to take pictures of.”
CESAR ECHEVERRIA Star 14374
all three as he serves the City of Chicago that he so quickly ad- opted as his hometown.
“For me, this is the best job.” Echeverria stressed. “It’s not for everybody. But, for me, it’s the best. Twenty-seven years, and I’ve never had a bad day on the job.”
Echeverria could never forget the first time he felt the adrena- line of police work, when a traffic violation turned into a heated car chase into 014. He was only six weeks on the job, and as his foot pressed down on the accelerator, the thrill of the pursuit electrified his senses. He can remember the way the dark streets illuminated with blue and red lights just as vividly as he remembers the burn of a shell casing that hit his leg when shots fired at the scene. He didn’t make it home until 8 a.m. the next day, but he didn’t mind one bit.
“I had never felt adrenaline like I did that night,” he recalled. “I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to do this type
of work. I really liked it.”
Encountering that type of adrenaline on the job
The activity of the night echoed over the radio, with reports of shots fired and foot chases that made his shift pass ever so slowly, as Echeverria held the flashlight steady for the photos, whishing he were getting a piece of the ac- tion. He now looks back on his first night on the job as a lesson in timing that in the long run has helped him in his career in law enforcement.
“I look back on it now and I laugh, because with my ex- perience on the job, you have to take it easy and not rush to anything because there are some things that you might miss when you’re in such a hurry,” explained Echeverria, an immigrant from Ecuador who moved to America with his family when he was only 3 years old. From an early age, his parents taught him and his siblings the importance of get- ting an education, working hard and helping others. With 27 years in law enforcement, he’s been able to accomplish
doesn’t get old for Echeverria. It’s that zero-to-100 speed that he lives for. But he doesn’t let the excite- ment of the chase blur his judgement of always putting safety and fairness first. He carries with him the morals and work ethic passed down by his parents, and he continues to look for new lessons to benefit from his brothers and sisters
in law enforcement.
“To this day, I’m still learning,” Echeverria stated. “I learn
from other police officers that I’ve worked with, and I’m go- ing to learn from these young kids that are coming on. You can never say that you know this job.”
Today, Echeverria is an officer in the 14th District. His humble disposition and unwavering passion are apparent in the way he constantly recognizes the blessings in his life: his loving family, his daughters, his health and his position working “the best job in the world” with the Chicago Police Department. d
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CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2017 27