[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 84 (Thursday, May 18, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE CAREER OF POLICE CHIEF FRANK KAMINSKI

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2023

  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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