Illinois Chiefs welcome retiring Springfield Chief Winslow as deputy director 

January 26, 2022

Kenny Winslow will join the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police as part-time deputy director. 

Winslow, left, is pictured receiving the 2021 Chief of the Year award from ILACP President Mitchell R. Davis III (Hazel Crest) at the Annual Awards Banquet in Tinley Park on Aug. 20, 2021. 

In his new role, Winslow will help guide the strategic direction of the organization, provide expertise on policing issues, advocate for pro-law-enforcement legislative policies, develop training and resources for members and cultivate new partnerships.

“I am excited to take the next step in my law enforcement career. I am humbled to be given the opportunity to join the ILACP management team and continue to give back to the profession I love,” Winslow said. “Being and advocate for professional law enforcement and those who selflessly serve comes naturally and I look forward to the challenge.”

Winslow has been active in the Illinois Chiefs for several years. He serves as a leader locally and statewide and was named the 2021 Chief of the Year for exceling in his department and providing extraordinary service to the association.

“Chief Winslow has long been viewed by his peers as a model for what a 21st century police chief should be,” ILACP Executive Director Ed Wojcicki said. “We are excited about the level of experience and expertise he will bring to strengthen our organization and better serve law enforcement.”

A native of Alton, Illinois, Winslow has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Springfield and an associate degree from Lewis and Clark Community College. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Executive Management Program and School of Police Staff and Command, Southern Police Institute’s Chief Executive Leadership Course amongst other executive and management courses.

Under his direction, Springfield was the first major department in Illinois to use body cameras, and Winslow has been a leading voice in the Illinois Chiefs association in making recommendations for how the cameras can be used most successively in Illinois. He has been called upon many times for his insights based on the Springfield Police Department’s experiences. Earlier this year, he provided direction and served as one of the expert presenters for ILACP’s training “Planning for Body Cameras 2022 and Beyond.”

Winslow notably played a key role in building ILACP’s relationship with the NAACP which led to the development of the Ten Shared Principles designed to build trust between law enforcement and communities of color. After the statewide adoption of these principles in 2018, he helped to get all 26 law enforcement agencies in Sangamon County to adopt the principles and incorporated the concepts into policy and training for his department. In 2018, Winslow received the President’s Award from the NAACP for Minority Recruitment and Community Engagement.

During his tenure as chief in Springfield, his department implemented many community-policing initiatives, including partnering with The Outlet Mentoring Group for their annual Bridging the Gap barbecue with residents, the NAACP and NOBLE on their “Know Your Rights” and “Law and You” programs, Lights in the Mirror program, Coffee with Cops, Halloween Safety Event, Focused Deterrence, Community Staff Walks, National Night Out, Teen Police Academy, school reading programs and much more.

Winslow will retire as the chief of police in the city of Springfield after a successful 28-year career with the department; he was named chief in 2013. His last day for the department is Friday.

"It has been an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Springfield," Winslow said in a letter announcing his retirement earlier this month. "I am humbled to have had the opportunity to work alongside all of you to make our community a safer place, while moving our department forward. The men and women of SPD are truly everyday heroes who go above and beyond on a daily basis."

Beyond his law enforcement career, he is active in his community and participates in many events and serves on various boards, including Memorial Behavioral Health and Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System’s Executive Board.

Winslow can be reached at [email protected].