The Windsor Police Service has a new chief. Deputy Chief Jason Crowley has been appointed the 20th chief in the service’s history, taking over immediately from retiring Chief Jason Bellaire. Bellaire, who became chief in November 2022, announced earlier this year that he would retire in November, midway through his five-year contract. His retirement was announced amid allegations of racism involving the former chief, which he has denied. Crowley, who has served as deputy chief of operations since 2023, said taking on the top job is a significant moment both personally and professionally. “I am absolutely as proud as can be to be serving the people of this community who have given me so much,” Crowley said at police headquarters Monday. He stated the service has made progress under Bellaire’s leadership but noted there is more work to do. “We have made so much ground under Chief Bellaire’s leadership. But there’s still places to go. There’s work to do, and we will continue to do that,” he said. “I definitely have some tweaks and some ideas of my own but we will continue to do the things that we do really well.” Crowley said his top priorities include service delivery and supporting frontline members. “Top priority is service delivery. You know, taking care of our members. Because if we don’t take care of our members, our service delivery will suffer as well,” he said. “Those are my top two, for sure. But there are many priorities.” He also emphasized the growing pressures on police and the importance of staff wellness. “Wellness is a big piece of what we do. The demands on police are more than ever from when I started 32 years ago to now,” he said. “We have different demands on our service and we have programs in place already that monitor our wellness… our biggest attribute is our people. If we can’t take care of that, that would be an issue. But we are already doing that very well. And I think that we’ll continue to always look for ways to take care of our people." Crowley addressed the off-duty driving incident in Amherstburg that led to a stunt driving charge in 2023, which was later reduced to speeding. He pleaded guilty and received a fine. “I was held accountable and I took all the responsibility in that. I made a mistake,” he said. “I know incidents like that will erode public trust, and I work at it every day to gain that trust back.” Police Services Board chair Jo-Anne Gignac said the board considered the incident fully during the hiring process and stands firmly behind Crowley. “For people to say the consideration shouldn’t have been there in terms of making this individual the chief, I am telling you that this police board and the police search that was undertaken took everything into consideration,” Gignac said. “This is a man of honour. He stood up and took whatever decision was made in terms of penalties and he has had extensive police experience here in the city of Windsor. He is going to be our chief and he is an excellent choice.” Gignac said Crowley’s experience and understanding of frontline policing challenges made him the strongest candidate. “He knows the pulse of the people on the front line,” she said. “Policing has become very complex, and having someone in that top seat that can draw the partners we need to address those issues is critical.” Crowley said he is committed to ensuring an inclusive, respectful workplace. “Our members will be heard. They will feel supported,” he said. “I expect our leadership to act with integrity and honour at all times, and I will be committed to that.” Crowley has more than 30 years of experience with Windsor police, including roles in critical incident command, tactical response, investigations, patrol and the Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement squad. He also holds a sociology degree from the University of Windsor and has completed multiple advanced policing and leadership courses. His contract as chief is for three years.
