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."

Current acting deputy chief charged with stunt driving

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."

Newly elected Windsor Police Association president, Kent Rice, also said the union is looking for the best candidates for the job — whether that be internal or external.

"A person who has the best interest of his/her members and the community," said Rice. "The WPA in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration will work hand in hand with the senior leadership team and the Windsor Police Services Board building a stronger relationship with the community and work together toward a common goal of creating a safer Windsor."

Experts outside of Windsor say there are many things to consider when boards decide to hiring chiefs and deputy chiefs from within versus finding candidates externally.

"I'm not sure if an external candidate will necessarily bring the type of reform or change that some people might expect from hiring that external position," said Julius Haag, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga who's researched police accountability and reform.

"It might be a benefit, but I don't think maybe it's the type of benefit that some people might anticipate," he added.

External chief would bring 'different range of experience'

In his eyes, the external chief or deputy chief of any police service would have new ideas, a different range of experience and could assist in changing the culture. But Haag said it may be more difficult for them to institute that change compared to someone from within.

"Many people would argue that an internal candidate has the ability, potentially, to navigate some of the internal pressures of the service in terms of soliciting buy-in from officers, particularly from front-line officers ... but also senior leaders," said Haag. "Recognizing what is the climate within the service in terms of organizational change, where are points of resistance and how to best navigate those issues."

Historically, Haag said policing in Canada has been resistant to "attempts at transformational change" which tend to be incremental. Typically, he added, police boards tend to hire from within that organization to fill the chief and deputy chief positions.

Retired London police chief Murray Faulkener said that's how it should be.

Outside 'superstar' chiefs 'very rarely exist'

He said many police services boards think by looking outside the organization they'll find "the superstar of deputy chiefs or chiefs."

"They don't exist. Very, very rarely do they exist," said Faulkener.

The benefits of hiring from within far outweigh hiring an external police chief or deputy chief, he said.

"They know the municipality. They know the political climate. They know those of influence within the community. They should have a good knowledge of staff, policies and procedures," said Faulkener.

Hiring from outside the organization for those top two positions "should be the exception, not the rule," Faulkener said.

Most major police services in Ontario train and develop internal officers with the goal of eventually becoming a deputy chief or chief of police, he said.

"When an opening comes open, especially a deputy chief or chief, then one of the ranks has the ability, not necessarily as a shoe-in, but has the ability to take over in that position," said Faulkener.