Springfield's Top Cop, State Police Leader Are Two Finalists For Bloomington Police Chief

WGLT | By Ryan Denham

Published August 10, 2021 at 9:12 AM CDT

The two finalists are Col. Jamal Simington, left, of the State Police and Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow.

An Illinois State Police deputy director and Springfield’s top cop are the two finalists to become Bloomington Police’s next police chief, officials said Monday.

The two finalists are Col. Jamal Simington of the State Police and Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow. They will appear at a meet-and-greet Aug. 16 from 4-5:15 p.m. at the Government Center.

Whoever gets the job will be Bloomington’s fifth police chief in just three years, following a string of retirements. Former BPD chief Brendan Heffner left in 2018, and he became the U.S. marshal for central Illinois. He was succeeded by short-term permanent and interim chiefs Clay Wheeler, Dan Donath, and (most recently) Greg Scott. They were all internal candidates.

Scott, now the interim chief, considered applying for the permanent job but decided against it. He said he couldn't commit to three or more years in the chief's role. City Manager Tim Gleason told WGLT last month that he wants the new chief to give a longer-term commitment to the position.

"I need stability for this community, for the men and women at the police department," Gleason said. "I'm talking in terms of five years with these candidates and if they can't give me that kind of commitment, I'm not sure that they will be the selected candidate."

Now, both finalists are external to the department.

Simington is currently the State Police deputy director for the Division of the Academy and Training, a position he started in March. His career in policing started in 1991 with the Kankakee County sheriff’s department. Previous assignments in State Police included the Ops Commander in District 21, the District Commander in District 10, and the Region III Commander for the State Police overseeing 2 investigative zones and 6 patrol operations in Central Illinois.

Winslow has been Springfield’s chief since 2013. He was named the 2021 Chief of the Year by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP). His career in law enforcement began in 1995.

“It’s been a careful and detailed process to get to this point,” Gleason said Monday. “Both these candidates are skilled and possess the ability to bring an already great department to an even higher level.”