Kasia Cawley promoted to police chief permanently in Hoffman Estates

Hoffman Estates Acting Police Chief Kasia Cawley was promoted and will be the first woman to hold the top law enforcement position in the village.

Cawley, a 21-year veteran of the department, will become police chief effective Monday, Village Manager Eric Palm said Friday. She's been acting chief since the retirement of the previous chief, Ted Bos, in November.

“At each step of her career, she had made a positive impact on the department and the community. As acting chief, Kasia has proven herself as a thoughtful and dedicated leader,” Palm said in a news release.

Cawley joined the department in 1999 and has spent time in all its divisions. She was promoted to sergeant in 2013, section commander in 2016, bureau commander in 2017 and assistant chief in 2018.

She graduated from the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command in 2018. She holds a master's degree in public safety administration from Lewis University and a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

She also served as a member of the Illinois Air National Guard from 1995 to 2001, reaching the rank of staff sergeant before receiving an honorable discharge.

Cawley said she is “humbled and honored” by the opportunity to serve as chief.

“I have spent the past 21 years in service to our citizens and I look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationships with the community,” she said. “I recognize that it is a difficult time in law enforcement, but I am excited to lead the great men and women who work here.”

Mayor William D. McLeod said Cawley is “a highly skilled police professional who is ideally suited to be the village's next police chief.”

“Her focus on customer service and mentoring will continue to build the department and foster positive, constructive relations with the community,” McLeod said.