3 reasons why Chicago PD needs more Kevin Atwater

2. His difficult background

One of the few things we do know about Kevin Atwater’s upbringing is that, like Chicago Fire’s Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso), he grew up in a neighborhood that was considered gang-infested and had both relatives and friends who wound up in prison for their affiliation with gang life.

Obviously Atwater didn’t follow in their footsteps and end up becoming a gang member himself, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been part of that world in some other way. And that is an angle that Chicago PD could make great use of, considering how much the show brings up the topic of gangs. Many episodes involve gangs in some way, whether it’s an informant who has gang ties or a crime committed by a gang member.

While Atwater has tried to protect his siblings from gangs on the show, it’d be interesting to see if that came out of more than just doing the right thing. Maybe Atwater himself was pressured to be a gang member as a young man? Maybe he had a run-in with some gang members in his past, and one of them could resurface in the present? It wouldn’t be the first time Chicago PD has mined one of the characters’ histories for a case of the week.

Exploring the gang angle would be a great way to get more Atwater on screen and to have more storylines that are Atwater-centric. Not only would we be learning about why he decided to be a cop, but it’s material that is great for the show, because of Chicago PD‘s frequent use of the exact same topic. Atwater can speak to the reality of the gang environment in Chicago in a way that no other character can, so why not use him to do just that?