KEARNEY, Neb. --

The job was posted in May by the city of Kearney, looking for the next chief of police.

Then Lieutenant Gabe Kowalek knew there was a big void to fill following the departure of Chief Bryan Waugh, who went to head up the Nebraska State Patrol.

“I did some self reflection, talked with my family, tried to decide what’s best, because this is a big responsibility and I don’t take that lightly," Kowalek said in his first media interview since being appointed.

The city of Kearney had a pool of 22 qualified people to choose from.

“Internal candidates, obviously," said Kearney City Manager, Brenda Jensen. "Then we had some from across Nebraska, surrounding states. We even had an international candidate, which was somewhat unique."

From 22 down to 1. Kowalek has worked for KPD since 2002. A graduate of UNK, the man who got his start as a patrol officer has served in several positions within the department during his 20-plus years.

“I’m very balanced with my career path," Kowalek said. "Between road patrol, investigations, special services, my leadership roles.”

Having all of those stops on the way to the top will serve well when giving guidance to some of the younger members of the force.

“You learn a lot by going through that. So the best advice is you do the best every day that you can do, if you make a mistake, you learn from it," said Kowalek.

Working a variety of posts, plus having his entire professional tenure based in Kearney, were some of the reasons Kowalek stood out to the hiring committee.

“He gets co-location for Kearney and Buffalo County (Sheriff's Office), which is so important and integral to what we do and how we provide service to our citizens," said Jensen. "He showed that through the entire process in how he handled everything, and how he answered questions and was prepared and had his vision for what he saw as the future of the Kearney Police Department.”

“I want to make sure that the public feels safe, and that they in building that community trust. I’m a big believer in community engagements, and that’s something I want to continue to do," said Kowalek.

With the announcement coming on Monday, Jensen says, "He was just ready for that next step." And residents have fully embraced the next leader of KPD.

“I really want to thank this community for the support I’ve gotten since I’ve been chief and the support that they day in and day out give this department.

“I couldn’t imagine being a cop anywhere else.”