City Of Phoenix: Before The Badge: Det. Michelangelo Caggiano, Singer-Songwriter

Phoenix AZ

17 May, 2021

4:48 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Phoenix: May 16, 2021 5:00 PM Phoenix Police officers come from many different backgrounds, including different careers. The department's video series, 'Before the Badge,' profiles some of those careers, and the diversity they bring to the department today.Before he was investigating ballistics to link shooters to crimes, Detective Michelangelo Caggiano was singing and playing his guitar on tours around the world.His singing career began as more of a joke, when a friend of his signed him up for choir in high school. He decided to give it a try, and realized he really liked it. "I actually got a chance to go on a signing tour around the northwest, and really solidified my love for music, and started to learn how to play guitar" Caggiano explained. "I went to Grand Canyon University, studied commercial music, communications, and really dug into the theory of it, and at that time, I was starting to make records and starting to tour."Caggiano took his American Indie Folk/Rock all around the country and the world, touring off and on for more than a decade. But, around the 12 year mark, he had a couple of experiences on tour that took him from entertaining a crowd, to entertaining the idea of public service."So we were rocking out, and playing our music, and the Maricopa County Sheriff's helicopter lands behind us," Caggiano said of one performance. "And all the SWAT guys come out with their cool guns, and their smoke grenades, and put on this big show while we're playing, and I'm looking back like 'this is so cool'."Just like that, after more than a decade on the road, Caggiano and his family put down roots back in Phoenix, and he headed to the Phoenix Police Regional Academy. Nineteen years later, he has worked his way up to detective in the department's Crime Gun Intelligence Unit."Everyday, I'm looking at cases that have been linked together by ballistics from a specific gun that may be used in either homicide, or an aggravated assault, or a drive-by shooting," the detective said. "What I try to focus on is connecting the dots and trying to link who the shooter is."Aside from maybe the occasional operatic performance of "Happy Birthday" for a colleague, Caggiano has intentionally kept policing and performing separate. Though, he said, there is no mistaking how the two careers overlap."I think in writing songs, I try to look through the lens of whatever I'm trying to sing about," Caggiano said. "So if I'm singing about somebody who is going through a difficult time, I'm trying to see the world through their eyes, and I think that's definitely transcended over to law enforcement when I'm trying to understand why maybe somebody did what they did."Throughout his time at Phoenix Police, Det. Caggiano has been able to keep his singing and songwriting somewhat going on the side. He released his latest album this past March. But as he nears the end of his police career, he plans to dive fully back into music.​Follow Caggiano's music career on social media, iTunes, or Spotify by searching "Secret Harbor Music."​ Related Social Media Hashtags and Handles: PhoenixPolice BeforeTheBadge SecretHarborMusic Keywords: Phoenix Police, Before the Badge, Secret Harbor Music This press release was produced by City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author's own.