About Richard

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Author Richard Greelis grew up in Robbinsdale, MN and had no interest in police work as a child. He graduated from the University of MN in 1980 and worked as a realtor for a short period of time before entering the Police Skills Program. In 1981 he was hired by the Hennepin County Sheriffs Office as a Sheriff's Deputy, and after a short stint there was hired by the Bloomington Police Department. Greelis worked as a patrol officer for twelve years, five of those years as a K9 officer and SWAT team operator. Following patrol, he transferred to Investigations; his first role in that unit as Liaison Officer at Jefferson High School. From there he went to Child Abuse/Sexual Assault and from there to Adult Crimes of Violence. Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, he served as a task force member on the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. After five years with the FBI, he returned to the Bloomington Police Department where he finished his career in the Narcotics Unit.
 

Service

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Greelis served on nearly every unit possible on a police department. This varied experience gave Greelis a unique and broad understanding of the inner workings of both street level crime and the police response to it. Contemporaneous with the publication of Copbook, Greelis retired from the police department after 27 years. In addition to writing, he enjoys reading history, paddling, splitting wood, and spending time with his family. Greelis lives in Bloomington, MN with his wife and three sons.