David J. Kowalski

• Rank: Deputy Chief
• Bureau: Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau
• Email: david.kowalski@lapd.online

Bio

Deputy Chief David Kowalski currently serves as the Commanding Officer of the LAPD’s Counter Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau. This Bureau is comprised of the LAPD’s specialized commands to include Air Support Division, Emergency Services Division, Metropolitan Division, Security Services Division, and Major Crimes Division.

Throughout his 26 years of LAPD service, Deputy Chief Kowalski has worked in both patrol operations and specialized assignments in various ranks and was twice selected as Supervisor of the Year as a Sergeant. As a Lieutenant, he was assigned as the Officer in Charge of the West Bureau’s Violent Crime Task Force, the Officer in Charge of the Northeast Area Gang Impact Team, and as the Platoon Leader for the LAPD’s Metropolitan Division “C” Platoon.

As a Police Captain, Deputy Chief Kowalski served in three different assignments as the Commanding Officer where he was awarded the 2015 Excellence in Leadership for his impact on crime fighting and the Law Enforcement Community Engagement Award in 2018 for his efforts in relationship-based policing. Upon his promotion to Commander in 2018, he served as the Assistant Commanding Officer of Operations-South Bureau, an area responsible for police services in South Los Angeles. In 2019, he transferred to Counter Terrorism Special Operations Bureau where he served as the Assistant Commanding Officer until his promotion as its Commanding Officer in 2021.

Deputy Chief Kowalski serves as the Co-Chairperson on the Executive Board for the Major Cities Chiefs Association Intelligence Commanders, a group comprised of 78 police agencies in the United States and Canada who share information and intelligence with Federal, State and local partners. He is also the Chair of the Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC) Governing Board, a fusion center responsible for six counties in Southern California. In 2022, he served as the Incident Commander for the Summit of the Americas, an international event involving world leaders in Los Angeles that required the largest pre-planned mobilization of LAPD personnel in its history.

Prior to the LAPD, Deputy Chief David Kowalski honorably served in the United States Marine Corps, achieving the rank of Sergeant. He is veteran of the Persian Gulf War and the liberation of Kuwait. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from San Diego State University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University Fullerton. He is a graduate from the Senior Management Institute of Policing at Boston University, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Leadership in Crisis course, and the Anti-Defamation League’s Advanced Training School on Extremism. He is married and has two children.