Brenden Moore & Steven Spearie
The State Journal-Register
Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow, the city’s top cop for nearly seven and a half years, plans to leave after tentatively accepting a top position with the police department in Franklin, Tennessee.
According to a news release from Franklin’s city government, Winslow was announced as one of two new deputy chiefs for the Franklin Police Department on Thursday. Franklin is a city of about 83,000 people 20 miles south of Nashville. Winslow, who was chosen from 78 applicants, would start his new job January 19.
In an email sent to Springfield’s aldermen late Sunday, Winslow said he was “currently in Tennessee trying to sort through some things with family to ensure this is the right step for us in life.”
“I informed the mayor late last week of my acceptance of the offer and my plan for my family to visit Tennessee this weekend,” Winslow said. “While he has encouraged me to stay on, he has graciously granted me some time and space to allow my family and I to make this difficult decision.”
Winslow has not officially resigned his position in Springfield despite his acceptance of the offer.
He said he would travel back to Springfield late Sunday night and planned to meet with Mayor Jim Langfelder on Monday.
Winslow, 50, is a 25-year veteran of the Springfield Police Department. He was named interim police chief in July 2013 after the resignation of Chief Robert Williams.
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Before being promoted to commander of the field operations division in November 2010, Winslow served in a variety of roles, including lieutenant, sergeant, an undercover narcotics officer, field-training officer, neighborhood police officer and patrolman.
The Springfield City Council approved Winslow to fill the role on a permanent basis in 2014. Mayor Langfelder opted to keep Winslow after he took office in May 2015.
Responding to the Franklin news release, Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin said Winslow “has performed his duties well over an extended period of time. At first glance, this looks like a loss to the city of Springfield.
“Changeover always creates opportunity, too, for new ideas, for new initiatives, new energy and an opportunity for the other officers to take the lead. It’s always a mixed set of circumstances, a mixed set of possibilities.”
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Winslow, considered a reformer, won praise from the city’s elected officials, community leaders and others for his commitment to community policing despite push back from the department’s rank-and-file.
During his tenure, Springfield became one of the first cities in Illinois to institute body cameras on all uniformed officers.
And most recently, the department has implemented ShotSpotter, gunshot detection technology that utilizes a series of acoustic sensors to detect and pinpoint the origin of gunfire within a 25 meter radius, providing real-time information to police officers responding on the ground.
Winslow was not always popular with rank-and-file officers and was often at odds with the city’s police union.
Among the demands set forward by the police union at the time was to scrap the neighborhood policing program.
But Winslow would not budge, and he was backed up by Langfelder and the city’s aldermen.
“I fully understood when I accepted the position as Chief that my decisions would be scrutinized by those who disagree, or may not comprehend, the responsibility and complexity of moving the department forward with 21st Century Policing,” Winslow said at the time.
The announcement of Winslow’s likely departure comes just a few weeks after Reyne announced plans to retire.
Reyne’s last day on the job was November 30. He was replaced by acting Fire Chief Brandon Blough, whose appointment will be voted on by the city council later this month.
Winslow was present at last Tuesday’s city council meeting when Reyne was honored.
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 