By Janet Stoica

Influenced by his uncle who served as a Police Superintendent, Police Chief Marek Karlowicz had set his sights on becoming a police officer since he was seven years old. 

“Every day is different with this type of job,” said Chief Karlowicz, “You’re helping people and trying to have a positive influence in their lives. You’re protecting and assisting those in need. Being a police officer is still a very honorable position to be in for law enforcement.” 

The Chief’s education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Curry College as well as a Master of Science degree in Counter-Terrorism from Nichols College. He was a member of one of the first classes in counter-terrorism to graduate from the Nichols’ program. He is also certified to be a firearms and breathalyzer instructor within the Dudley department.

He’s worked police details at the Indian Ranch entertainment venue in Webster and has met many celebrities who have played there including the likes of Willie Nelson among others. 

“I feel meeting non-celebrities is much more rewarding,” he said. “There was a situation where I responded to perform CPR to save a gentlemen’s life that had more of a positive impact on my career than anything else. Shortly before this occurrence, my dad had passed away and it meant a lot to help this man in need. Not only did I help him by my actions but it also gave me a great sense of satisfaction knowing I had saved a life. It was a positive impact on the man who survived and held great meaning for me.”

Chief Karlowicz had been mentored by Dudley’s former Police Chief Steven Wojnar, a man who had been greatly respected by Dudley residents as well as his peers.  Chief Karlowicz was previously a lieutenant in the Dudley Police Department and when Chief Wojnar announced his retirement, the town’s Selectboard interviewed him for the police chief position. He was appointed chief effective January 13, 2023. The town does not use the civil service system for appointments.

“No, we’re not civil service,” Karlowicz stated, “enabling the department to promote from within, so officers can move up within their own department and move up in the ranks. I feel our training in Massachusetts is more advanced than other areas of the country. Massachusetts does a much better job in training and recruiting. All of our officers are dedicated to community policing and we strive to show positive aspects of policing.”

The Chief also talked about the fact that the Dudley Police Department is a small group of officers with much responsibility and that Dudley residents have been very supportive of them and other public safety personnel in town to ensure their budgetary needs are being met. 

“Our townspeople have shown us that we have their support for all public safety and we greatly appreciate that support,” he said.

However, the police staff has not been increased for many years. When Dudley’s population was 10,000 residents 20 years ago, the town had 16 officers and current staffing remains the same consisting of the chief, one lieutenant, four sergeants, 10 patrol officers, and a full-time administrative assistant. Currently, the population has increased by 20 percent and is closing in on 12,000 residents, but the department has not increased its personnel to keep up with the population growth. According to Karlowicz, there are more state mandates to adhere to and they have had to manage them with the same amount of officers as 20 years ago.

“We don’t have a detective and are in urgent need of one whether dealing with domestic violence or breaking and entering. We could also use 1-2 more officers within the next 2-3 years. In the time we’ve grown there is more population and much more traffic. There are many more police calls that are not police-related like mental health issues, overdoses, and domestic violence. Having an advocate with specialized training in these areas can only have a positive impact for all concerned. Many of these situations could be dealt with by a detective but our lieutenant is currently handling them,” he said.

Through a generous donation from the Fels family, the department will soon have a Hound Program which entails the addition of a hound dog that will specifically be used to find lost family members, young and old alike, who may wander and become disoriented. The Fels grant will also be used for the department’s drone program. Both programs will employ certified officers in their specific areas. Staffing is the main priority. 

The department will also take part in the upcoming Santa’s Tour where Santa Claus will be making his rounds around Dudley on a fire truck with police and fire escorts sponsored by the fire and police departments as well as the town’s Selectboard. Officers also enjoy participating in the Touch-a-Truck program, Trunk or Treat, and High-Five Friday events where officers will greet elementary school children as they exit their school buses to give them a High-Five hand tap.