New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski To Retire at Month’s End

New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski is retiring from the department at the end of this month, officials say.

New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski

A member of the New Canaan Police Department for more than 33 years, and chief since June 2013, Krolikowski has accepted a position as Darien’s first-ever director of school security, according to a press release issued by the Darien Public Schools. In the role, he will hire armed security and other staff to see all school safety issues there.

Krolikowski said in a press release that he’s “thrilled” to take on the new position.

“School safety and security must be a focused team effort that evolves, embraces best practices, and mitigates risk,” he said. “Superintendent [Alan] Addley’s strong leadership and the Darien Board of Education’s forward-looking risk mitigation mindset inspire me. I am certain that the Darien School District will become a national leader for best practices in school safety and security. Ultimately, our collaborative work will make Darien Schools safer, inviting, and student-centered.”

He will start in the new position Jan. 9, the press release said.

Krolikowski earned a bachelor’s degree in General Studies from the University of Connecticut and graduated from the Stamford Police Academy. While working full-time as a police officer, he earned an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management, a law degree from Quinnipiac Law School, completed an executive education course at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and has started coursework toward a doctorate degree. He is admitted to practice law in the States of Connecticut and New York, Connecticut Federal Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and the United States Tax Court. He is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy in Quantico, Va., and he is a Marine Corps combat veteran as well as a member of New Canaan’s VFW Post 653.

New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski

“Chief Krolikowski’s varied and accomplished experiences in law enforcement and school security as the Chief of Police in New Canaan provide the necessary credentials for this critically important leadership position,” Addley said in the press release. “We welcome Chief Krolikowski as a member of our Darien Blue Wave community.”

Krolikowski is well-known around New Canaan, where he’s lived for more than three decades. He’s been married to his wife Anna for more than 28 years. Their children Morgan, Kelsey, and Ryan, graduated from the New Canaan School System. Morgan is a doctoral candidate at Columbia University, Kelsey is a clinical research team member at NYU Medical Center and Ryan is a West Point Cadet.

Darien Public Schools noted in the pres release that throughout his tenure with NCPD, Krolikowski “has worked closely with the New Canaan Public Schools on a variety of security enhancements and changes in trainings and protocols.”