Mayor thanks retiring police chief for guiding Springfield through 'one of the toughest hours'

Acknowledging that he "changed the culture" of the Springfield Police Department during his nearly nine-year tenure as police chief, Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder presented Kenny Winslow with a plaque on his retirement during Tuesday's committee of the whole meeting at city council chambers.

Winslow, who in all has spent 28 years on the department, retires effective Friday.

Council members gave Winslow, the longest-serving police chief in city history, a standing ovation.

"(The men and women of the Springfield Police Department), it's their dedication that keeps our community safe," Winslow told the audience. "It's all about them. I've been blessed with a great team and great people around me."

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Langfelder thanked Winslow for guiding Springfield through "one of the toughest hours in Springfield's history."

Langfelder was speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic and the general peacefulness of the protests in Springfield in reaction to the George Floyd murder on May 25, 2020.

I'll put up our police force against any others because of the great work that they've done," Langfelder added.

In an interview after the ceremony, Winslow acknowledged it hasn't always been an easy job, especially balancing the interests of the officers while supporting the community, the administration and council members.

"But as I've said before, there's not a more rewarding career than that of law enforcement when done correctly," said Winslow, who was named interim chief in 2013 before being appointed to the position on a permanent basis by then-Mayor Mike Houston in 2014.

Since Winslow made his retirement official two weeks ago, Langfelder has talked several times about the importance of department succession. Langfelder acknowledged that he interviewed all five members of the SPD's command staff last week for consideration for the job.

"The department has to be able to move on when you leave," Winslow said. "That's something we had to put in place a long time ago and we've had in place. That's why it was so vitally important to get that number two position on the department, that assistant chief. I think for the first five years I didn't have an assistant chief, I had deputy chiefs.

"Having that clear line of command when you're gone is huge. Whoever he chooses, they're more capable of leading the department forward."

Langfelder said he wanted to let Winslow "have his day in the sun" and an announcement about the new chief would come early next week.

Meanwhile, Winslow said he was going to do some part-time contractual work in Springfield "related to law enforcement," though he wouldn't be more specific.

Fire report

Some frustration boiled over Tuesday regarding the tardiness of a report advising the city on fire department realignment.

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Langfelder said council members would probably get the 200-page report at the beginning of the week, but city budget hearings have started already.

"The idea of doing (the report) early was so we could have it for the budget and we need it for the budget," said Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer. "It's inexcusable."

Hanauer also was irritated that budget books weren't delivered to council members until Friday in advance of hearings that started Monday. In the past, budget books have been delivered in December, he said.

Ward 8 Ald. Erin Conley said the lateness of the fire department report, being prepared by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Public Safety Management LLC, was "disrespectful to every council member around this horseshoe.

"It's disrespectful of the chief and the fire department that we can't, as a community, have a conversation about a report that, the way it's been sold, is that this is going to lead to big changes and how we move forward with our fire department," Conley added.

City budget director Bill McCarty said there was "never an expectation that this report would be a part of that (budget process)," but Conley shot back "there absolutely was."

"Yeah, I'm frustrated," she added. "I have a duty to the constituents in Ward 8, to make sure their safety is ensured, that we're fiscally responsive and that we're looking into a plan that makes sense for them. I can't say that I do that."

Ward 6 Ald. Kristin DiCenso said that council members "have to be given information in a timely manner. It's a must and it's not happening. This isn't working."

"I understand the frustration," Langfelder added. "We're frustrated, too. (The report has) taken longer than what any of us thought."

Lake water

The full city council next week will consider a $530,000 plan to install 13 aeration units or circulators on Lake Springfield to help address the taste and odor of city drinking water.

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While City Water, Light and Power's treatment system, said chief utility engineer Doug Brown, is addressing the offending taste and odor to a degree with high quality carbon, "it's not necessarily enough to treat the levels that we're seeing of the type of algae that is present."

Brown is hoping the addition of the floating reservoir circulators, which are solar-powered, will help drop the algae levels down enough to where the carbon can remove the rest of the algae.

If approved, funding would come from the American Rescue Plan Act. There will be a presentation on the circulators next week.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield, IL City Council honors retiring police chief