beyond the badge

Carlucci captures cops on canvas

Exhibit tracks Vallejo police, 1900 to now

By RICH FREEDMAN/Times-Herald staff writer

After spending hours upon hours shadowing Vallejo police officers, local artist and photographer Carlo Carlucci understands how the men and women in blue can become a cynical bunch.

There’s an often unappreciative public, a frustrating court system and, naturally, some not-so-nice bad guys.

A cop who’s always cheery?

“That’s a miracle,” Carlucci said. “There are a couple of them who seem to be able to face all of these (situations) and not be affected by it, and that must be by the grace of God. One or two who actually seem to be able to weather the storm.”

One of the hardest obstacles, cops told Carlucci, is not becoming cynical after years of dealing with the underbelly of society.

“Some of them are more aware than others,” Carlucci said. “They would talk about it. But they weren’t exactly loquacious. If you asked, they would answer. They were polite, very courteous, but weren’t exactly spitting out ‘War and Peace.’ “On the heels of Carlucci’s Vallejo Fire Department exhibit, “Forged in Fire,” the artist unveils “Behind the Badge,” a historic pictorial look at the VPD since its inception in 1900.

The display at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum starts with an opening reception Saturday and runs through June, including free monthly talks and a rotating exhibit.After about a dozen police ride-alongs, Carlucci quickly learned one thing: He’ll never be a cop.

“Definitely not,” he said, even if it were the last job on Earth.

“I doubt it,” said Carlucci. “I don’t think it would ever come to that.”

Carlucci soon realized how complex the department is, from patrol to investigation to administration. And he and other photographers he gathered for the project did their best to capture the cops doing what they do.

“I don’t even try to keep track” of hours spent on the exhibit, said Carlucci. “It’s been a lot of time and there will be a lot more time” as he continues working on the process as it evolves.

Carlucci took the experience from working a year with the firefighters (”It almost killed me”) and applied it to the police project, though the personality of each agency is night and day.

“Big time,” Carlucci said of the difference. “Cops on the beat not only have to be constantly looking out for their own safety and the safety of the citizens around them, but they have to consider their families. So they’re more cautious about having their pictures taken and put out in public.”

While many Vallejo firefighters went along with doing family legacy portraits, the cops were a bit reticent, said Carlucci.

“They were very careful whether family members were included and for good reason,” Carlucci said. “It may strike some of us as being paranoid. But it makes a lot of sense the more you go out with them, the more you experience how some of the public reacts.”

It took some time, but most officers accepted Carlucci’s appearance, be it on ride-alongs or in daily briefings.

“Police are a little more guarded (than firefighters) and they have reason to be,” Carlucci reiterated. “Experience on the street trains them to be careful. It was a little while before they relaxed, but they’ve been extremely friendly and helpful. It’s been a pleasure working with them.”

Though “they wouldn’t let me get into a dangerous situation,” there were moments that were “a little spooky, a little frightening,” said Carlucci, declining to elaborate.

Carlucci did learn from his last public safety project to slow down, pace himself, and solicit the help of fellow photographers, including donnio, “the second in command,” who snapped more than 150 mug shots.

Others involved include MaryJane Etchegaray Szalan, Nell Blackwell, Rick Mariani and S.N. Jacobson.

The bottom line is the photographers want the public to make the officers human, Carlucci said, himself impressed with how local law enforcement handles the homeless, “a serious problem in Vallejo.”

“I’ve done a lot of work around the city and no one has been more dedicated and more humane in facing the problem than the police department, far more than any civilian groups I’ve seen,” Carlucci said. “I was really impressed by that.”

All the artwork can be made into prints and is available to the public, Carlucci said, with the subjects of the work typically first in line.

“When we did the ‘Forged in Fire,’ we sold a bundle,” he said.

The proceeds of the “Beyond the Badge” prints and calendars are split between the museum and the Police Athletic League.

Few of the cops will have seen the artwork before the exhibit showcase, Carlucci said.

“The one thing I like to do is surprise people,” he said. “So they will either run from the room in horror or they will be very happy.”

If you go: What: ‘Beyond the Badge: The Vallejo Police Department from 1900 to 2008′

Where: Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, 734 Marin St.

When: Saturday, 4 p.m. reception; exhibit runs through June

Contact: 643-0077, vallejomuseum.org, vpdbeyondthebadge.com

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