Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register
After the Springfield police officers’ union announced Monday a vote of no confidence in Police Chief Kenny Winslow’s ability to lead, lines of communication were opened Wednesday. Winslow reached out to the union’s president, Sgt. Grant Barksdale, Wednesday to set up a meeting next week to hash out the union’s concerns. Barksdale said the union board will attend.
The vote was sparked by low morale among officers and the belief their grievances regarding inconsistent scheduling and staffing were falling on “deaf ears,” Barkdsale said. Winslow tried to meet with the union board two days before the vote, but the union board declined, according to e-mails provided by Mayor Jim Langfelder.
Barksdale said the union would like to see a “change in behavior” when it came to Winslow’s performance, rather than asking for his removal. About 82 percent of the Police Benevolent and Protective Association Unit No. 5 voted in the no-confidence poll last week. Eighty-nine percent said they had no confidence in Winslow’s ability to lead. The poll also gave Winslow poor marks in several categories including “timely decision-making” and “productive labor climate.”
Barksdale said issues weren’t with the officers’ day-to-day schedule but rather last-minute decision-making that led to frequent inconsistencies in what an officer would expect to work. He said he wouldn’t point to specific instances since it would incriminate officers asked to negotiate.
In an interview with The State Journal-Register, Winslow said that low morale was because of his push toward community policing, in which officers participate in community events.
Winslow also attributed some of the low morale to the “national narrative” of police officers not being supported, which is reinforced by negative media coverage.
He also thinks the tension could be caused because of prolonged contract negotiations. The union and the city have worked toward a contract since the last contract expired in 2015. Three items — wages, sick-time sell back and officer residency requirements — have went to arbitration.
Barksdale said none of the union’s grievances have to do with the items under arbitration. He said the arbiter’s terms were amenable to the officers.
Following the union’s announcement of the vote on Monday, Langfelder said he still supports the chief, citing his success in implementing community policing. All the different “snippets” of what officers face — including a change in policing, contract negotiations and a tight fiscal year — could have contributed to the no-confidence vote, he said.
The mayor said he would attend the meeting with the union and the chief if the union board wished.
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Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin said he hasn’t heard any major complaints about the chief in the last two years from people in the community, union leadership or the rank-and-file.
“Are there breaches of their current contract? Are policies going beyond their contract? Is it behavior?” McMenamin said. “I would need more information.”
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 