Edgerton Police Chief Robert Kowalski Honored with 2024 Champion for Kids Award

EDGERTON, WI - At the Wisconsin Police Leadership Foundation Winter Training Conference & Expo on Tuesday, Edgerton Police Chief Robert Kowalski was recognized for his exceptional dedication to crime prevention through early childhood education and support. The 2024 Champion for Kids Award was presented by Tamar Lieberman, Wisconsin State Lead for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, acknowledging Chief Kowalski’s significant contributions over the past year.

In her speech during the award presentation, Lieberman praised Chief Kowalski for his unwavering commitment to creating a safer future for the next generation. “He brings to the cause his personal background, growing up in a single parent household in Chicago, and seeing some of his peers fall through the cracks. He brought that motivation with him this year to a dozen policymaker meetings, building bipartisan support for early childhood education and intervention supports,” said Tamar Lieberman. “All of this helped shift the narrative, and we’re seeing the impact in state investments and legislation to this day.”

“I’ve been a member of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids since I became chief of police in Edgerton several years ago. I joined because throughout my life and the many years of my law enforcement career, I’ve seen how important it is to invest in our children at a young age. I always felt that if we focus on them early, when they’re young, it’ll pay off in dividends when they get older,” said Chief Robert Kowalski, as he accepted the award.

Chief Kowalski’s efforts include publishing an influential op-ed in the Wisconsin State Journal titled "Quality child care helps reduce crime, incarceration,” highlighting the critical link between early childhood care and crime reduction. His advocacy has played a pivotal role in advancing state investments and legislation aimed at bolstering early childhood education and intervention supports. Chief Kowalski’s commitment to these causes recently earned him a position on the Fight Crime: Invest in Kids National Leadership Council.