Chief Frank Kaminski

Frank Kaminski, Chief of Police in Park Ridge since 2009, has spent his career immersing himself in the communities he serves.  He has an extensive background in community policing/problem solving, school-community relations, accreditation, media relations, enhanced 911, criminal and internal investigations, financial management, and labor relations.

He served as president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police from 2015 to 2016.  During that time, he revived the association’s Public/Private Liaison Committee and worked closely with longtime friends such as Larry Doria, Laurence Mulcrone, and Tony Ramos.  He is a leader among Illinois chiefs in recognizing the need for much closer collaboration between private security professionals and local law enforcement.

During his presidency he also reached out to the Illinois NAACP and established strong communication – to the point where NAACP leaders now regularly make presentations at Illinois Chiefs conferences, and Illinois Chiefs are always invited to present at the NAACP statewide convention.

Kaminski values accountability and a disciplined execution of his department’s mission.  As Evanston’s police chief from 1996-2006, he rebuilt systems of public trust through a Citizens Police Academy, Chief's Advisory Board, Evanston Citizens Police Association, Police Chaplain-Clergy Team, and other partnerships.  He then served for three years as the Public Safety Director for the Evanston Township High School, where he instituted a Positive Presence Program engaging the school and the community and he developed and implemented violence reduction strategies to reduce gang-related incidents.

The model of leadership, he has achieved the association’s Police Chief Certification and he has been a Mentor for the International Association of Chiefs of Police New Police Chiefs' Mentoring Project.  He has degrees from the University of Illinois Chicago and Roosevelt University, and has continued his education at the FBI National Academy, Harvard’s Senior Management Institute for Police, and Northwestern’s Executive Institute for Chiefs of Police and Kellogg Management Institute.

His network is broad and deep.  He is a past president of the Kiwanis Club of Park Ridge and Evanston, founding member and past president of the International Police Planners Association, a life member of the NAACP, an assessor in top-rated accreditation programs, and an adjunct instructor at several colleges and universities.

He is highly principled, a man of great integrity, and totally committed to making communities safer through effective law enforcement and interacting with colleagues in local, regional, state, and international organizations.