He was a police officer in the Chicago Police Department.
As a Detective-Sergeant in the Major Crime Unit, he was responsible for
the arrests of many notorious figures of the Chicago underworld.
One of Adamson's partners in the Chicago police department was Dennis Farina.
His training officer in Major Crime Unit was the legendary Lieutenant
Frank "François" Pape, who inspired the Lee Marvin character in M Squad (1957). When Adamson retired from the Chicago Police Department, he
wrote a book about his relationship with Frank Pape.