Recognizing the Career of Police Chief Frank Kaminski
Floor Speech
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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments and long career of Park Ridge Police Chief Frank Kaminski. Today is Chief Kaminski's last day on duty.
I have had the opportunity to work with Chief Kaminski on numerous occasions, and I have always found him to be a dedicated and capable public servant. He has served as the Chief of Police for the City of Park Ridge since 2009, where he was brought out of retirement to serve the community in which he lived and revitalize that local Police Department. He succeeded, creating a Chief's Advisory Board (an initiative he also brought to Evanston, Illinois) and re-envisioned the City's department-wide philosophy behind the concept of community policing,
Prior to his service in Park Ridge, Chief Kaminski spent thirty-three years with the Evanston Police Department. He led the department for two decades before retiring in 2006. During his tenure, he presided over a dramatic 55 percent reduction in the index crime rate, and just like in Park Ridge, Chief Kaminski was a constant advocate behind the concept of community policing. He championed a host of local initiatives in this capacity, including the Citizens Police Academy, the Chief's Advisory Board, and a Police-Chaplain-Clergy Team to further deepen interactions between the Police Department and the public.
In a development that would characterize much of his career, the Chief originated and implemented a philosophy of policing that he called ``The Partnership, Police and Community Working Together.''
I am grateful that Chief Kaminski spent his working years in the service of two communities within the 9th Congressional District of Illinois. I have no doubt that the residents of these communities are better off thanks to his philosophy and his efforts to further interactions between the police and the public. We will all feel the loss in the absence of his continued leadership on these issues.
On behalf of the residents of the 9th Congressional District of lllinois, I thank Chief Kaminski for his service. He leaves shoes that will be very hard to fill, and I hope that Park Ridge is able to find someone who can lead the Department with the same skill and compassion that he did. I wish him nothing but the best in future endeavors.
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