Authors to Share Oak Park Police Stories

Could you imagine riding along with a police officer, strapped into a bulletproof vest and under orders to stay in the car, when a call comes in and suddenly lights are flashing and the officer is punching the gas pedal?

Quite the adrenaline rush, some might say.

However, if that’s not your scene, authors Marcy Kubat and Lee Brooke have you covered. Their new book, , details their various ridealong experiences and interactions with the men and women charged with keeping the citizens of Oak Park safe every day.

On Thursday, they’ll share some of these officer’s stories, ranging from rookie to experienced to retired, at 7 p.m. at a free program at the , 834 Lake St., with books available from for signing.

All together, Kubat said, the pair went on four separate ridealongs with patrol officers and sergeants. Some days were quiet and calm, while other times calls over the radio came in rapid succession. Regardless of the excitement factor, she said the best part was “the chance to sit next to an officer while they are on the street on duty.”

In fact, Oak Park operates a program that allows any resident the opportunity to ride with an officer for a few hours to get a taste of what the job is all about. One strict rule applies to the program though: No pursuits with civilians in the car.

Recounting his experiences, Brooke seemed like he had a blast riding around in the patrol cars with the officers.

“I’d like to say it was scary because the instant the officer puts his foot on the gas pedal and the lights go on … it’s anxiety-producing,” he said. “I wasn’t concerned about his driving, I was concerned that something would go wrong but of course it didn’t.”

While it’s not a “blood and bullets book,” Kubat said, they wanted to bring better understanding between the community and the police, who many times don’t interact unless there is a problem.

The pair wanted to examine “why [officers] choose this job and how they deal with the possibility of danger every day,” she said. “It’s a nice look at police and the everyday job that they do, which is not police chases or big crimes.”

This book brings the total for the self-publishing and self-binding pair to 24, whose other books have featured local history, including the first white settlers in Oak Park, musicians in Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park, and the history of the First Presbyterian Church of Oak Park.

In this way, they’re like modern historical writers, turning interviews with the knowledgeable locals into compilations that future generations can rely on.

“I thought this would be a book that many people would be interested in,” Brooke said. “As we age, I think we are more concerned about security.”

Overall, he said, he thinks Oak Park is very secure compared to other communities, but still wanted to show the people who make it possible.

And they aren’t finished exploring the police; they want to compile a history of the department from its beginning in 1878 to 1978.

Kubat said the patrol officers that help keep the community safe are not given enough recognition as public servants, which will lead them to new volumes of material for books to come.

Her co-author echoed that sentiment, saying Oak Parkers should take comfort and have pride in their police department.

“You should be proud of the quality of people that are employed,” Brooke said. “They have a lot of applicants, but it just sounded to me that … they reveal themselves to be excellent candidates.”