Today, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) announced that he has appointed Chief Thomas Kulhawik to the Task Force to Study Police Transparency and Accountability. Chief Kulhawik is the Chief of the Norwalk Police Department. The appointment is effective immediately and expires on December 31, 2020.
“Tom’s distinguished career of service with the Norwalk Police Department make him a great addition to the Task Force to Study Police Transparency and Accountability,” said Senator Duff. “It is critical that police departments across the state look to further ensure transparency and accountability, and I’m pleased that Chief Kulhawik will be able to contribute his voice and expertise towards achieving this goal.”
Chief Kulhawik has served as an officer with the Norwalk Police Department since 1983. He began as a patrol officer and was promoted to Detective in 1987, Sergeant in 1995, Lieutenant in 2000, Deputy Chief in 2007, and Chief of Police in July 2012. He has worked in all aspects of the department including patrol, narcotics, general investigations, and community policing.
“I thank Senator Duff for this appointment,” said Chief Kulhawik. “I am honored to have been asked to be a member of this Task Force. It is a very important topic and one which is also extremely important to me. I look forward to working with the other members over the next few months.”
The Task Force to Study Police Transparency and Accountability was established in 2019 by Public Act 19-90. The task force consists of 10 members who are appointed by the Speaker of the House and Senate President, as well as the undersecretary of the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division, or the undersecretary’s designee, the Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, or the commissioner’s designee, and the Chief State’s Attorney, or the Chief State’s Attorney designee who are all non-voting members.
The task force needs to submit a preliminary report by no later than January 1, 2020, and a final report by no later than December 31, 2020, which should include its findings and any recommendations for legislation. The task force will terminate on the date it submits its final report or by December 31, 2020.
Chief Kulhawik received his B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Phoenix and his M.P.A from Post University. He graduated from the Connecticut Police Academy in October 1983 and attended an FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar in 2007 and the 58th session of the Senior Management Institute for Policing in 2014.
