Armed & Dangerous

This critically acclaimed memoir of one female cop is “an exceptionally well-written account of life in the Chicago Police Department from 1982 to 1988” (Richmond Times-Dispatch).

Beginning with day one at the Police Academy and spanning assignments on Chicago's West Side, one of the most dangerous areas in the city, Armed & Dangerous chronicles Gina Gallo's sixteen-year odyssey as a police officer. The notorious cops' code of silence is broken as the author recounts incidents in the West Side projects: shoot-outs, ambushes, and what it feels like to kill a man—just four days out of the Academy.

The stories told are sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, often poignant, and always provide the reader with an on the scene feel for life behind the badge. Domestic violence, murdered spouses, abused children, and philandering CPD brass are just some of the topics addressed, topics that officer Gallo dealt with everyday.

From her work with gangs, narcotics, the gun task force, and acting as a prostitute, Gina Gallo offers a gritty account of the darker side of the city, giving readers an objective side to the cops, crooks, and victims that comprise the police world.

“Gallo's slide into the us-versus-them mentality and her depiction of that psychological evolution is a powerful aspect of this book. Gallo offers rare insights into a compelling world.” —Chicago Tribune

“Provides stories about fear and survival on the Windy City's mean streets. Armed & Dangerous is a frank view of law enforcement in the nation's second city.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch

“A no-holds-barred look at life behind the badge, a look which is both perceptive and disturbing.” —Arizona Daily Star