Hailey And Jay Halstead: I'd follow you

Chapter 1

  "Cases are always hard. Every cop. Every detective knows that. In every case you get handed 9 times out of 10 they're always difficult to close or solve. And don't even get me started on murder cases, but some of those victims' families never even get closure. Some are left in dark wondering why their son or daughter or friend or loved one went the way they did and why they were the ones who had to die and all you can tell them is how sorry you are and how you're trying to catch the person responsible and sometimes you can't catch the perp until they kill again and then you get asked the same questions, again and again, you don't have an answer but you wished you did.

Every time you get a murder case you want it to go fast and smoothly as possible and it never does. I'm Jay Halstead and I work for district 21 in Chicago, solving crime is why I do what I do, but sometimes it isn't enough. Sometimes you wish you could stop the bad things before they start, but you can't. You never can stop it before it starts. And I think that's what most detectives and cops struggle with the most.

    It's not the hours you spend working and what little time off you have or the little pay you get for busting the bad guys and bringing them in, it's the guilt you feel when you're wrong about a lead or when you can't save someone's life. But all of that comes with the territory of being a detective or a cop working in the intelligence unit or any district or unit. I have never not wanted to be a cop or a detective it's what I'm good at. After my time in the rangers and when I came home, I struggled with finding my place in this world. After trying to find something I had a passion for, I decided to apply for the Chicago police academy, and when I found out I got in I was so relieved that maybe this was my true calling.

  And it was. It is.  I have never loved a job more, but sometimes it's hard to go to sleep because I kept thinking that I didn't try my best or didn't save someone, but thanks to my partner, Hailey Upton, I realized that every day i get up and to go work and put the bad guys away, that's me trying my best and just because I didn't save someone's life, I had saved many more from arresting them. I am Jay Halstead. I am a detective in the intelligence unit, and I am a husband. And I have never been so happy in my life. Now why am I here telling you guys about this? it's because I believed I could change the world and I feel like i have just by serving and protecting this city and state. And if that's why you guys want to be a cop or a detective, then do it man. All it takes is one step to becoming that person you want to be. All I need from you guys is to answer one question it can be aloud or in your head, but I need you to answer this one question about yourselves. Is this who I really want to be? Is this what I want to do? Is this someone I see myself becoming? And if you answered yes then you're exactly where you need to be. Thank you and congratulations you did it!" I walked off that stage with a big shit-eating grin on my face. I have been asked to speak at graduation from the Police Acadamy from where I had graduated back in the day. I have never felt more rewarded than I did standing up there and the best part I had my beautiful wife there cheering me on who couldn't be prouder.