Kristopher Joswiak. Ellie Fromm | Collegian 

Hillsdale City’s new police and fire chief Kristopher Joswiak is the first in this position to combine experience as a police officer, firefighter, and emergency medical technician. 

“You have about 8,000 people in the town, so it is a big role,” Joswiak said. “Obviously, the people who are doing the job day-to-day, my firemen and police officers, make up the majority of the role. I’m there to manage them and help them and oversee the process of what they do on a daily basis.”

The Hillsdale City Council appointed 36-year-old Joswiak at its Feb. 2 meeting in an 8-1 vote. He is a graduate of Oakland Community College’s Police Academy/MCOLES and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ferris State University.

Joswiak began working in law enforcement at age 14 as a police explorer in Canton Township, Michigan. He went on to work at the Flint Bishop International Airport, Rockwood Fire Department, Monroe Police Department, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, and a custom protection officer correction company, according to his resume. 

“I’ve done all three roles,” Joswiak said. “I left Monroe and decided I wanted to try something different. My father’s lived in Hillsdale for about the past decade, and I saw that there was an opening for the position, so I applied and ended up here.”

On Feb. 17, local woman Joni Norris was struck by a county-owned vehicle and was taken by ambulance to receive medical care. Norris died of her injuries on March 7. Joswiak aided her in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, according to Norris’ boss Richard Moore, as previously reported by The Collegian.

“Our new chief of police, Kristopher Joswiak, actually came in that day, then came back the following day and talked with me. I didn’t realize this at the time, but these are the things you learn. It was his second day on the job,” Moore said. “He’s a certified EMT, that’s how he got his start. He was able to actually ride in the ambulance with Joni and comfort her. It made me feel so good, just knowing our new chief was there with Joni in her time of need.”

Joswiak said he plans to implement newer technologies, update older ones, and make the department more efficient.

“We’re going to continue doing everything that we’ve done,” Joswiak said. “What we’re going to do is try to modernize things, to make it easier on my officers, which in turn will make it easier for the people for certain things in the city.”

Mark Hawkins, the deputy fire chief, said he appreciates having a chief who not only knows about how to run a fire station administratively but also is a trained firefighter and able to assist with his crew. 

“I don’t know anything about the police, but they help us out when we need them,” Hawkins said.