New mural installed on parking garage at 16th/Jefferson Park District Police Station
by BRIAN NADIG
A mural that depicts an unofficial police mascot and pays tribute to the service of local officers recently was installed on the south end of the parking garage at the 16th (Jefferson Park) District Police Station, 5151 N. Milwaukee Ave.
The mural replaces one that was damaged in a windstorm last October. That police mural was installed about 12 years ago after a decision was made to wall off the Carmen Avenue entrance to the garage in an effort to improve security there.
Front and center in the new mural is “Sergeant Rubble,” a rescue dog that can often be seen at community events wearing a police shirt.
In addition Rubble has spent time inside the district station, helping to address the wellness of officers.
“The idea … is something that puts a smile on officers’ faces, and Rubble was a big part of that,” said former district lieutenant John Garrido, who along with his wife Anna operate the Garrido Stray Rescue Foundation.
The foundation, which has a stray-hold agreement with the city, annually handles about 300 lost and abandoned dogs, including those brought to the station. “Eighty percent of the dogs coming in are being reunited,” said Garrido, who retired from the police force in 2022.
The mural also includes older and newer model squad cars and a bungalow, as a symbol of the district’s long service to Chicago’s Northwest Side, Garrido said.
The mural was designed by Chicago police officer Peter Bucks, who in 2017 designed a canine statue that depicts the district’s history and pays tribute to those district officers who were killed in the line of duty. The 54-inch-tall fiberglass dog named “Jefferson” is on display in the 16th District station lobby. It was part of a citywide “K-9s for Cops” public art program.
Bucks also has installed artwork on a newspaper stand shed near Milwaukee and Foster avenues. Updates to the shed are being planned, Garrido said.
Sponsors of the new police garage mural are Allstate Insurance agent Jaime Morales, Wintrust Bank – Gladstone Park, Law Offices of Garrido and Stoppa, P.C., the Garrido foundation and Marino Chrysler Jeep Dodge.
