PopSyndicate.com

Daniel P. Smith was the odd man out. His family is a cop family, a mob-like insular unit that sustains itself through the good and bad days of a cop’s life.

Smith found himself not drawn to working the streets, but writing about it – and going on the occasional ride along with his relatives.
In a noir-like voice, the Chicago native and former English teacher writes about life in law enforcement in his first book, On the Job: Behind the Stars of the Chicago Police Department, released from Lake Claremont Press.

Smith’s credits include the upcoming release of The Chicago Mercantile Exchange: Past, Present, and Futures (Write Stuff, 2008), as well as a comprehensive history of the Crown family, one of Chicago’s leading business and philanthropic families. In August 2007, he appeared on the History Channel’s “Our Generation” series discussing the 1968 Democratic National Convention and Chicago Police response. Smith is presently working with photographer and fellow Chicagoan Brian Palm on a project sharing the stories and images of Chicago’s disappearing buildings.
A 2003 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he was an accomplished track and field athlete, Smith lives in the city’s western suburbs with his wife Tina and dog Dublin. He resides in cyberspace at onthejob-smith.blogspot.com.

This week, Smith talks about the stresses and strains of living in a family dedicated as much to each other as they are to the Chicago Police Department.  This week, you’ll get a sneak peak into his book, learn about life as a cop’s kid and hear from Smith in his own words.