Office of the Mayor

City of Springfield, Illinois

James O. Langfelder
Mayor

Immediate Release
October 30, 2017

RESPONSE FROM MAYOR LANGFELDER REGARDING POLICE UNION POLL

When I became Mayor in 2015, I went through a rigorous application process to find our next Police
Chief. Policing has changed dramatically over the years, and it was crucial we had the right person serve
as Springfields Police Chief. After twelve community forums and a Police Review Panel that conducted
the initial applicant screening and first round of interviews, Kenny Winslow remained as Springfields
Chief of Police.

Successful 21st Century Policing means engaging the community. That is what the Chief has excelled in
and the Union leadership does not support. The goal is to have every Springfield Police Officer involved,
and it is a tough culture to change. In his brief tenure, Chief Winslow has taken great strides to engage
the neighborhoods and bring people together. He provides stability and adaptability to move the
Springfield Police Department and community forward together.

Chief Winslow has been a strong proponent of a number of community-policing initiatives including
neighborhood walks, attendance at neighborhood association meetings, town hall forums, and National
Night Out. Unfortunately, it is many of these outreach initiatives that require extra time by our officers
and not something the Union leadership strongly supports. However, it is something our Springfield
community deserves and what we need.

Under Chief Winslows leadership in the last two years, the Springfield Police Department successfully
rolled out the Body-Worn Camera program, the Narcan training and implementation with officers, and
the Stop the Bleed initiative. Since becoming Chief, he started various community programs such as
Coffee with a Cop, Cops and Bobbers, the new Teen Academy, the annual Halloween Safety Event,
The Law and You education program and the You Matter Basketball program, all in partnership with
various community organizations with the goal of bridging the gap between the police department and
the Springfield community.

In a real crisis situation, Chief Winslow remained steadfast when we had two serious incidents involving
our police department. The first was an officer-involved shooting and the other was an officer-resident
interaction. He was also instrumental in guiding Springfield forward after the series of shootings our
community faced this spring. Chief Winslow was a calming voice and assisted in bringing our residents
together.

300 Municipal Center East Springfield, Illinois 62701 (217) 789-2200 Fax (217) 789-2109
 Office of the Mayor
City of Springfield, Illinois

James O. Langfelder
Mayor

In addition, even in tight fiscal times, Chief Winslow still keeps the department needs at the forefront of
City fiscal priorities. Currently he is working through the Springfield K-9 unit upgrades at the training
academy while increasing our minority recruitment efforts for the police department. Chief Winslow is
committed to providing the best service to our residents, which means providing the best equipment
and training to our officers. He has increased mandated training from 32-hours to 40-hours per year,
per officer and embraced elective and specialized training for all areas of the police department.

It is unfortunate that the Union leadership declined the opportunity to meet and discuss their concerns
with the Chief and I prior to taking this poll of no confidence.

I support Chief Winslow and his efforts to move the department forward.

James O. Langfelder
Mayor

300 Municipal Center East Springfield, Illinois 62701 (217) 789-2200 Fax (217) 789-2109