Kristen Conner An

In Your Face Interview

Adapted from an ACFW Online Interview.

Q:: Detective Kristen Conner, tell me the most interesting thing about you. What would surprise people about you? A:: I took a Brazilian jujitsu course in college at Northern Illinois – my major was criminal justice – and I got hooked on mixed martial arts (MMA) from that moment on. I’m 115 pounds soaking wet, so people are surprised I can throw a punch and fight – especially some of my fellow cops and definitely a few bad guys I’ve gone face to face with. The more popular MMA workouts provide a great series of disciplines that keep you tough and in-shape. I’ve taken every hand-to-hand combat class the Chicago Police Department (CPD) offers, including Israeli krav maga, which has become a real favorite for me – and the system I recommend to women for self-defense. I like good old-fashioned boxing too. A favorite part of my workout routine is punching the heavy and speed boxing bags – great for strength and toning arms and shoulders. I’m glad you didn’t ask my colleagues on the CPD what’s interesting and surprising about me – they might tell you how interesting my handgun scores are. But I got a new Sig Sauer and I’m working on it! My younger sister Klarissa is pretty certain there’s nothing interesting about me! LOL Q:: What do you do for fun? A:: I played rec soccer as a little girl and then moved up to a travel team as a teen and was fortunate to play through college on a partial scholarship. Like a lot of female players my age I dreamed of being the next Mia Hamm for the US international team. I follow Manchester United in the English Premier League and I still love anything to do with the sport. I’ve had a couple knee surgeries so I’ve missed a couple adult league seasons but play when I can. My older sister asked me to coach my niece’s seven-year-old soccer team and after putting up a little fight I jumped at the chance. I adore my niece—and the kid can score on a left-footer, something I could never do very well. I just wish I had been included in naming the team. The girls picked the Snowflakes. Don’t get me started that we were assigned yellow jerseys. My younger sister Klarissa would claim I do next to nothing that’s fun. But she’s a media rock star and is into the socialite thing. Looks boring to me. Soccer is fun. (I hope she’s reading this.) Q:: What do you put off doing because you dread it? A:: I have no problem with confrontation most of the time – my boss says I could tone it down a notch or three. But I have to admit for six months last year I had a boyfriend – I would call him a sorta boyfriend – who had a lot more feelings for me than I had for him.

I never led him on and let him know I didn’t reciprocate his feelings but he kept saying he was willing to wait around for me to share the same feelings he had. I should have just cut the relationship off with him. It wasn’t fair to him. My dad used to tell me if you are going to cut the tail off a monkey do it all at once instead of one inch at a time. One inch at a time hurts just as bad every time. I guess I felt sorry for the guy and wanted to protect his feelings and ended up hurting him more. Not sure why I procrastinated on that. Otherwise, I usually get after whatever it is I’m supposed to do – though a few members of my family, especially mom, suggest I have bonding issues and wouldn’t mind me getting after a real relationship yesterday. (With my mom, bonding isn’t an issue. She is super-glued to my sisters and me.) Q:: What are you afraid of most in life? A:: My dad was on the CPD and I would tag along with him to the office some Saturdays when I wasn’t off playing soccer. The older guys in Homicide still think they helped raise me – and they are right. After looking at a lot of crime scene montages, I guess I don’t get too afraid of anything for myself. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. It’s not too much or too little fear I worry about in my own life – though my partner thinks I’m a little reckless. But I’ve seen enough crime by age 30 to make anyone a little cynical. So I worry about my attitudes a little. And I definitely worry about the safety of my family members. My dad was shot in the line of duty and I saw what that did to my family. I’m not sure any of us have quite got over that. So I feel protective of my mom and sisters. My younger sister Klarissa was always afraid of the dark and slept in my bed with me when we were little girls. Maybe that gave me the feeling I couldn’t afford to be afraid, that I had to be strong for both of us. Q:: What do you want out of life? A:: I got my detective shield earlier than I dreamed possible. That’s all I ever wanted career wise. So I don’t have any big goals for promotion and definitely don’t want to move into management. I grew up happy in a working class family so money and having lots of stuff isn’t a big deal to me. My car is more than 10 years old and I think it rocks! Despite how much it bugs mom – I’m not looking for Mr. Right but I guess I’d like to get married someday. My younger sister is already hitting it big time as a television reporter and says I get way too obsessed with justice. I remind her that’s what I do for a living. So I guess what I want out of life is to set things right. If that makes me judgmental so be it. My dad’s shooter has never been caught and that eats at me every moment of every day. Q:: What is the most important thing to you? A:: I know it sounds like a cliché but I love God, family, and country. That’s how I was raised and that’s how I am. I will admit to you – not to them – I can be a little difficult to get along with at times. So as much as I love my mom and two sisters, I do tend to fight with them a bit. And maybe my colleagues too. I never doubt God is real but I’ve

probably argued with Him a few times too. Okay, I’m off topic. That happens with me a lot. I should mention how important the CPD is to me. Like I said, the department helped raise me. It’s discouraging how bad crime is in Chicago now. I see a lot of talent and commitment all around me. But we’re not having our finest days. Q:: Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read? A:: I wish I read more. But I pick up a novel from the library or bookstore once a month. I always like Grisham but I’ve gotten a little tired of him and haven’t picked up his last few books. I like the Lee Child novels, but some of the storylines get a little over the top for me. I read Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus novels – maybe to remind myself not to let cynicism take over my life. Don’t tell my mom but I do subscribe to MMA Monthly – I like to see how fighters are training and what new moves they have come up with. (You might think I’m crazy about the fight stuff but it recently saved my life.) I try to read my Bible every night – but I’ve been known to fall asleep first from time to time. I do the USA Today crossword puzzle most weekdays. Does that count as reading? My older sister Kaylen is the reader. Her husband is a pastor so she does a lot around their church, including teaching. So she always has a book with her. Q:: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? A:: I kind of wish you hadn’t asked that. Everybody is after me on one thing – well actually a number of things, but one in particular. So I can’t deny I have a bit of an anger problem. Dad said don’t sweat it and that I would mellow with age. I’m thirty now and it hasn’t quite happened that way yet. I wonder if anger is an occupational hazard with being a cop. Probably so but I had a temper before I went to work with CPD so I’m probably trying to make excuses. So to answer your question, I would like to get my temper under control. I wouldn’t mind keeping a little anger – that can help on the job. I’m not arrogant but there isn’t really a whole lot more I’d change. Maybe it’s a lack of introspection on my part. I take life as it comes. I accept me. I’m not perfect but I think I believed the preacher when he said God created me the way I am for a reason. My mom would change my marital status if she had a say in the matter – and believe me she has a lot to say! Q:: Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet? A:: No pets for me! I live alone in an apartment and have crazy work hours. I would be an awful pet owner. I have been trained on how to kill an attack dog with my bare hands but won’t say anymore in that out of respect to those that love dogs.

I won a goldfish at Vacation Bible School when I was a little girl. He didn’t make it through the week. My sisters cried for him – I named him Clark so it had to be a him – when dad flushed him down the toilet. Q:: If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why? A:: You asked me earlier what I want out of life and everything I told you that everything I want is right in front of me. I don’t know if this makes me shallow and unimaginative, but I really do live in the present moment so this is a tough question to answer. I kind of liked reading about Westward Expansion in history classes, so maybe I would go back to frontier days and be a Texas Ranger or Native American warrior. I’d still be working on my handgun skills as a ranger – but maybe I’d be better shooting a bow and arrow or throwing a tomahawk! Stay in touch with Detective Kristen Conner through the author’s website and Facebook page.

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