New Winnipeg police chief named after three-month delay

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This article was published 07/03/2025 (184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The city’s next police chief was named Friday after a three-month delay, which was reportedly related to questions about his suitability to lead the force.

Gene Bowers was introduced as the Winnipeg Police Service’s incoming chief after a Winnipeg Police Board meeting Friday.

“My whole life has been dedicated to policing, 36 years in this force … So, I think I have that experience. I have the background, I have the empathy, I think, to do this job and to support our citizens,” Bowers told media after the meeting.

The announcement was initially expected in December. On Dec. 6, Winnipeg Police Board chairman Markus Chambers told media a candidate had been chosen and could be named within “a week or so.”

On Friday, Coun. Chambers said the board needed extra time to review “new information” that has since been addressed. In January, the board sought legal advice from a private law firm — and not the city’s in-house legal team — in what it said was to ensure a proper vetting process.

“The information that was provided to the board, from our research, was inconclusive and we felt that we were in the right to move forward,” he said.

Chambers later told the Free Press he misspoke and should have said the concerns were found to be “without merit.”

Chambers said “no concerns” remain with the board’s choice.

“We have no concerns … Chief Bowers … will work very collaboratively with the board and with stakeholders to make our city safer,” he said.

The Free Press reported questions had been raised about Bowers’ suitability to lead the Winnipeg Police Service in December, which led to the delay. The city has not explained why the extra vetting was needed.

Mayor Scott Gillingham, a member of the police board, said Friday he is “very confident” in the new chief and believes the process was handled properly.

“There’s a thorough process and I commend … all of my colleagues on the Winnipeg Police Board for doing a very thorough job, taking everything very seriously and taking the time necessary to … get it right. This is a good day today. It’s a good announcement,” said Gillingham.

Bowers said he respected the hiring process.

“Was it easy? No. But I respected the process and today the results of the process did what it was supposed to do. And I’m here today as the new chief and I’m excited to move ahead,” he said.

Bowers said he grew up in Winnipeg and raised children in the city, giving him strong ties to the community.

He declined to share specific details of his plan to tackle violent crime on Friday but indicated police should work with the community to do so.

“Definitely, we (have) got to get … our members back into the community and accessible,” he said.

Bowers said building relationships with the community is a key priority, including going out to meet with Indigenous leadership and community members to seek input.

“The community doesn’t have to come to me, I’m going to go to the community. I want to be out in the community,” he said.

When asked about low morale among police officers that has raised concern in recent years, Bowers said he’ll continue efforts to improve the workplace.

“My members … every day they put their lives on the line, right? Very brave, the things they do, it’s admirable … I’m going to be getting out to the shifts and meeting the members,” he said.

Bowers will be promoted from deputy chief of investigations. He joined the WPS in 1989 and worked in various sectors since, including criminal investigations and specialized investigations. He also set up WPS online and virtual reporting and implemented its counter-exploitation unit, according to an online biography.

The bio notes Bowers is a founding member of the provincial human trafficking team committee and was assigned to the joint missing and murdered Indigenous women’s task force from 2010 to 2013.

During Friday’s meeting, Chambers stressed the police board has “tremendous confidence” in Bowers’ “integrity, vision and courage,” noting his extensive experience as an asset.

The position of police chief has been open since Danny Smyth retired in early September, with Art Stannard serving as interim chief since then. Smyth officially announced his retirement date in December 2023.

In an email, the union for Winnipeg police officers welcomed the new chief.

“We are pleased that the Winnipeg Police Board has announced a decision and the WPA looks forward to working constructively with Chief Bowers,” wrote Cory Wiles, president of the Winnipeg Police Association.

Bowers will start work as the city’s 19th police chief Monday.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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