Kenny Winslow will remain as the City of Springfield's Police Chief, Mayor Jim Langfelder announced Tuesday.
Winslow has been in the role since his appointment in 2013.
Hearings were held in all the city's wards as the new administration considered other applicants.
The following news release was sent from the Mayor's office:
After twelve community forums and a Police Review Panel that conducted the initial applicant screening and first round of interviews, Mayor Jim Langfelder announced today Kenny Winslow will remain as Springfield’s Chief of Police.
“In his brief tenure as a Chief, he has taken great strides to engage the neighborhoods and bring people together,” said Mayor Langfelder. “He provides stability and adaptability to move the Springfield Police Department and community forward together.”
Chief Winslow was named interim Chief in late July 2013 and was appointed to the position in February 2014. Prior to this, Winslow had been commander of the field operations division since November 2010. Before being promoted to that position, he served as a lieutenant, sergeant, commander for the hostage negotiation team, an undercover narcotics officer, field training officer, neighborhood police officer and patrolman. Since becoming Chief, Winslow started various community programs including “Coffee with a Cop” where residents can meet and talk with officers in an informal setting every month; “Coffee and Conversation”, a bi-monthly round table where residents discuss their police concerns; The Law and You education program and the You Matter Basketball program, both in partnership with various community organizations.
“I would like to thank the Police Review Panel for their time, effort and input throughout this entire process,” stated Mayor Langfelder. “Thank you also to the residents who shared their thoughts and feedback, both in person and online. It reaffirmed my goal of Community Policing as a philosophy and path for our police department because it is the same direction uniformly echoed by neighborhoods across the city.”
The selection of the Police Chief involved the creation of a Police Review Panel consisting of community members who had backgrounds in, or working relationships with, law enforcement. The panel hosted twelve community forums, one in each ward in addition to one hosted by the Springfield Chapter of the NAACP and another by Ward 2 businesses. Understanding the vision the Mayor has for the department along with the comments and suggestions provided by citizens at the forums, the nine Police Chief applications were reviewed by the panel. The panel selected four to interview as a team and the final interviews were conducted by Mayor Langfelder.
Mayor Langfelder concluded, “The strength of the applicants show the future of the Springfield Police Department is bright. I’m looking forward to working with Chief Winslow and the quality men and women of the Springfield Police Department to best serve the public.”
