Windsor student acts as ‘Police Chief for a Day’

Josie Donnelly seen acting as Windsor Police's 'Police Chief for a Day' in Windsor, Ont. on May 13, 2025. (Source: Windsor Police/Facebook)

A Grade 6 student from Windsor fulfilled a dream of becoming “police chief for a day” for the Windsor Police Service (WPS).

Josie Donnelly won the annual contest. Donnelly is a student at École élémentaire catholique Georges-P.-Vanier.

On Tuesday, May 13, Donnelly reported for duty which included participating in the WPS Community Heroes Awards luncheon.

The contest was open to students who participate in the “values, influences, and peers” (VIP) program.

Students submitted a short essay about why they would be a good candidate for this role.

Donnelly was selected because of her ongoing commitment to improving her school and community through advocacy and volunteer work.

The opportunity of a lifetime as Josie put it, was engaging and a great learning experience.

“I got to see, like, the emergency response room, which was super cool,” said Donnelly. “And I got to meet a bunch of really cool people. I got to meet the chief of police. I got to meet like some constables and deputies, like a lot of people, and that was really cool.”