VIDEO: Chicago Officer More Afraid of Media Scrutiny than Dying on Duty
Video: Chicago Officer More Afraid of Media Scrutiny than Dying on Duty
Citing the "Ferguson effect," a 20-year veteran officer with the Chicago (IL) Police Department — speaking anonymously and with a concealed face and voice — told a local television news station that he is "more concerned about what the media is going to think about me, what they're going to put on the news, or how I'm going to be portrayed as this evil person" than of being killed in the line of duty.
August 14, 2018
Citing the "Ferguson effect," a 20-year veteran officer with the Chicago (IL) Police Department — speaking anonymously and with a concealed face and voice — told a local television news station that he is "more concerned about what the media is going to think about me, what they're going to put on the news, or how I'm going to be portrayed as this evil person" than of being killed in the line of duty. Image courtesy of CBS Chicago.
1 min to read
A 20-year veteran officer with the Chicago (IL) Police Department — speaking anonymously and with a concealed face and voice — told a local television news station that he is "more concerned about what the media is going to think about me, what they're going to put on the news, or how I'm going to be portrayed as this evil person" than of being killed in the line of duty, according to CBS Chicago.
When asked what his biggest fear is right now on the job, the officer responded: "Seeing my family and my friends have to deal with me being put on the news."
He added, "I've never been afraid of being hurt on this job or killed on this job."
Citing the "Ferguson effect," the officer said that police have retreated from proactive policing, causing a subsequent increase in crime in some areas.
"There's a lot of officers out there that are still doing work, even given the climate that they're in right now, but there is some hesitancy on wanting to be aggressive and doing police work the way it needs to be," he said.
More Patrol
Brinc Unveils Guardian, Launching the Next Era of Drone as First Responder
Brinc’s new Guardian delivers 24/7 operations, Starlink connectivity, and a robotic charging nest that can swap batteries and change payload configurations without human intervention.
Read More →
Colorado State Patrol Releases 2025 Struck-By Analysis
The Colorado State Patrol, after analyzing its 2025 struck-by incidents, identified one area for improvement: using traffic cones to provide advanced warning before the cruiser's location. Here is the agency’s final data.
Read More →
Streamlight Names 144th Marketing Group Law Enforcement Sales Rep Agency of the Year
Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.
Read More →Streamlight Names 144th Marketing Group Law Enforcement Sales Rep Agency of the Year
Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.
Read More →
The Mission After the Moment
The mission of the Jorge Pastore Foundation is to support first responders through essential training, stronger community engagement, and mental wellness resources, all accessible and funded through donations, sponsorships, and foundation-led fundraising. It works closely with Team Wendy in the discussions about developing better protective gear for officers.
Read More →
Sponsored•March 17, 2026
Built for Patrol: How One Police Chief Fixed Communication, Boosted Visibility, and Changed the Culture
Patrol work hasn’t changed—but the expectations on officers have. See how one police chief helped officers get the right information at the right time, improve patrol visibility, and strengthen trust without adding complexity or surveillance. This real-world story shows how patrol-driven technology can make the job safer, smarter, and more effective—starting on day one.
Read More →
Sponsored•March 2, 2026
Safariland Solis Rethinks Concealable Duty
What if Level I retention didn’t require a full duty rig? Safariland’s Solis delivers trusted ALS security in a streamlined OWB platform built for administrative and plainclothes professionals who need protection without the bulk.
Read More →
K-9s Play a Critical Role in Finding Missing Persons
Real-world scenarios show that a tracking canine can detect and follow a human track several hours after it was made.
Read More →
Garmont Tactical’s LE Boot Lineup
In this video, we get a look at the latest law enforcement boots from Garmont Tactical, both for men and women. Kyle Ferdyn, sales manager, showcases four of the latest boots.
Read More →
Avon Protection Launches EXOSKIN-S2 High-Performance CBRN Protective Suit
With the commercial availability of Avon Protection’s EXOSKIN-S2, users now have increased options for their protective suit requirements across the spectrum of CBRN threat environments.
Read More →