Upon entering his office, warmly decorated with the soft gurgling of a small waterfall, the scent of an herbal diffuser drifts in the air as mood lighting creates a space of tranquility not unlike a meditation room. Leaning against his desk in a room decorated with a wide assortment of artwork and police-related items—mostly in Polish—Patryk Jaroszkiewicz smiles broadly with Wayfarer shades adorned atop his brow, and wearing a European cut dark overcoat. He appears mildly out of place, and yet, exactly where he is meant to be.
For nearly six months, Jaroszkiewicz has served with CPA at REGIONS-Hamden as a rehabilitation therapist, helping the young men in our residential facility learn to make the right choices in life, through one-on-one counseling, escorting them on field trips, and serving as a mentor. Often, he is the big brother figure in their lives as they complete court ordered treatment and eventually transition back into the community. It is the sort of work that those who enter the reentry space find rewarding, both personally and professionally. And, like many other professionals in social work, it is not the job Jaroszkiewicz saw himself performing when he was old enough to dream of a future or, for that matter, just a year ago.
Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s in Milanówek, Poland, Jaroszkiewicz hoped to be an architect. Perhaps it was the trips he often made with family to the nearby modern city of Warsaw that was completely rebuilt after WWII and then again following Soviet control, which led to his amazement of the skyscrapers, gardens, and quaint villages that dot the metropolis and neighboring countryside. The dream continued, even when, at 14 years old, he said goodbye to his girlfriend and moved with his parents to Connecticut, settling in Bristol. While getting used to a new country, culture and language had its challenges, Jaroszkiewicz was warmly accepted by his peers, learned English and excelled.
When he graduated high school and enrolled at Tunxis Community College, Jaroszkiewicz decided to study criminal justice. He shares that the decision was influenced by his respect for the local police department and how they performed their roles. “I like to help people genuinely, so I think that really inspired me to enter the field and my thoughts were confirmed in my first criminology class when we discussed Sir Robert Peele and modern policing techniques – that the police don’t have enemies, they have communities.”
Eventually, Jaroszkiewicz found his way to the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at University of New Haven (UNH) and learned directly from some of the nation’s foremost criminal justice leaders, including community policing expert, John DeCarlo, Ph.D., Michael Lawlor, J.D., a nationally renowned expert on criminal justice reform, and William H. Carbone, MPA, the executive director of Justice Programs and the Tow Youth Justice Initiative and expert on juvenile justice reform and reducing recidivism in the probation population.
The university quickly became Jaroszkiewicz’ second home, made more special with his involvement in the school’s Polish American Study Exchange, which affords students the ability to travel to Poland with UNH professors and learn from some of the country’s most senior leaders in policing. Jaroszkiewicz would also earn a UNH fellowship for a master’s degree, teach criminal justice, and conduct and publish important academic research on community policing. Within a short time he began studying for his doctorate in criminal justice.
The Polish American Study Exchange also allows Polish police commanders to annually visit the U.S. in October and collaborate with American counterparts. Unlike police departments in the U.S., Poland has a centralized system with a military chain of command, and many of its senior commanders have the rank of general.
UNH Dean David Schroeder, Ph.D., would eventually task Jaroszkiewicz with creating and leading the entire training curriculum and managing every detail of the 11-day program. That involves shepherding the generals and translating for them during their entire stay while visiting UNH, local police departments, the New York City Police Department, and federal agencies. The timing also allows the visiting officials to march in New York’s annual Pulaski Day Parade.
Having taken part in the program for a decade, Jaroszkiewicz has witnessed the international partnership bear fruit with the many cohorts who’ve taken part. “Our program not only helps deliver the latest insights and innovations to Poland’s police leadership, but by extension it reaches the 100,000 member police force and 20,000 member civilians they lead.”
Likewise, American police chiefs taking part in the exchange learn from their Polish counterparts. Jaroszkiewicz recalled that, “During a recent meeting, one of the police chiefs asked Poland’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief, ‘How do you deal with gun violence because it’s such a huge problem here in America?’ I found this interesting to translate because I knew exactly what the answer would be. The general replied, ’We don’t have gun violence because we don’t have guns.’ The two delegations erupted in laughter because it’s like living on another planet when you consider the difference in societies and policing.”
In a nation of 38 million, Poland is known for its strict gun laws with less than 1% of its citizens legally owning a firearm, compared to the U.S. where some 32% of the population reports owning a gun.
As Jaroszkiewicz was rising fast in Connecticut police circles, during the October 2022 visit while meeting at 1 Police Plaza in New York City, he fell seriously ill. Misdiagnosed and underinsured, he traveled to Poland where he discovered just before Christmas that he had stage three colon cancer and faced slim odds of surviving without immediate surgery. He flew to Poland, underwent the procedure that saved his life and later returned to the U.S. for eight months of chemotherapy. By the time his cancer went into remission in August 2023, Jaroszkiewicz had physically become a shell of what he once was. He credits his girlfriend, Alexis, and rescue dog, Chloe, for aiding in his recovery.
“Life changes quickly in the blink of an eye and when I got back to the university, to teach, research and continue my studies, Professor Carbone shared that there was an opportunity at CPA as a Rehabilitation Therapist. It caught my attention because I really enjoy working with young people.”
Jaroszkiewicz adores the REGIONS-Hamden team he works with led by Francis French and describes them and the scope of work as phenomenal and he is also grateful to CPA for allowing him to continue to lead the Polish American Study Exchange. It was during last fall’s cohort that Jaroszkiewicz impressed the equivalent to the head of the Polish FBI so much so that his name was submitted for the Silver Medal of Merit, which he received in January from General Marek Boroń, the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish National Police.
“The ceremony, held at the General Police Headquarters in my beloved Warsaw, a city that has risen from devastation to stand as a symbol of resilience, was profoundly moving. As the general addressed the gathering and expressed his gratitude for my contributions, I couldn’t help but reflect on the journey that brought us to this point—a decade of meaningful collaboration between the University of New Haven and Polish law enforcement. It was a testament to the power of shared vision, mutual respect, and unwavering dedication to building bridges across borders, proving that even the vast Atlantic Ocean is no barrier when the pursuit of a safer and more just world unites us.”
Patryk Jaroszkiewicz, we are especially proud of all that you have accomplished in the field of criminal justice, the work you lead, the international connections you’ve created, and doing so while overcoming so much yet remaining vigilant and dedicated to others and the greater good. We congratulate you on your honor!