La Crosse police chief ends 47-year career

LA CROSSE, Wis. — The police chief of La Crosse will walk away from 47 years in law enforcement on Friday.

Chief Edward Kondracki has led the La Crosse police force for the last 19 years. Before that he was third in command in the Milwaukee Police Department.

Kondracki says he’s had the jitters the last two months knowing retirement was right around the corner, but in the last week or so, he’s come to grips with it.

The chief tells WXOW-TV he’s proud of his anti-gang efforts and hopes the next chief will make the illegal drug problem in La Crosse a priority. Kondracki says 11 people have died of overdoses in the city in the last 10 months or so.