External hire for Windsor police deputy chief could revitalize culture, former board member says

As a search is underway for two new deputy police chiefs in Windsor, one former board member says external candidates could bring fresh perspective to the organization, while others say there's benefits to picking leaders with experience in the service.

The Windsor Police Services Board job posting closes Friday at 5 p.m. for candidates looking to apply for the deputy chief of operations and the deputy chief of operational support.

Former board member Denise Ghanam pushed for an external candidate to improve the internal culture before she left in January.

Ghanam said she strongly feels at least one of the deputy chief positions should be filled by someone from outside the Windsor Police Service. Ghanam, who was appointed by the provincial government, expressed these views during her time on the board before a decision was made not to renew her term. 

If an organization continuously hires from within, it can get into a rut, she said. External candidates would bring with them new ideas and fresh perspectives, she added.

"They have a significant opportunity to make changes to policy and ways of doing things that can help shift the culture in an organization," said Ghanam, who's worked as a consultant with other organizations that sometimes wanted to change or evolve.

"When an organization wants to shift its culture, it needs to do something completely different than what it's done in the past. And that can be difficult to do if you have the same people trained in the same way brought up in that same culture filling all the leadership roles."

Ghanam said "there's a huge opportunity" for the Windsor Police Service to make positive change. A formal mentorship program for female and diverse officers and further improving the internal promotional process are two areas she said an external deputy chief can help with.

"It is very difficult to make those changes when the people who are implementing are the people who are already comfortable comfortable in that existing culture," said Ghanam. "That's where that outside, external, fresh perspective can come in and provide some impetus to positive change."

Acting deputy chief of operations Jason Crowley has been in that role since May of 2022.

In February, he was charged with stunt driving seven weeks after it happened. While off duty on Jan. 7, Crowley was pulled over in Amherstburg for driving 111 km/h in an area with a posted speed limit of 70 km/h. He was allowed to leave without a charge, vehicle impoundment or license suspension.

Frank Providenti was named deputy chief of operational support three years ago. Police board administrative director Sarah Sabihuddin declined to say when Providenti's contract expires.

Sabihuddin also said police board chair Drew Dilkens, who's also Windsor's mayor, is unavailable for an interview. 

"As it relates to the recruitment for both deputy chief positions, the board will evaluate all applicants with the intent of creating the strongest command team possible," said Dilkens via email. "Whether applicants are internal or external is not the board's primary consideration when creating the command team."