A new chair has been elected for the Windsor Police Services Board.
Jo-Anne Gignac, the ward 6 city councillor and former vice-chair, has officially taken over the role from Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens after being voted in during the board meeting Thursday afternoon.
Due to provincial legislation changes that came into effect on April 1, 2024, former police service members are now prohibited from sitting on a board in the city they served.
Due to this legislation change, the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, Dilkens would be unable to serve as chair moving forward.
Dilkens spent 15 years with the Windsor Police Auxiliary where he was a Staff Sergeant before joining council in 2006.
Gignac says it's great to be elected.
"It's an opportunity to serve again at the board level, and I welcome it. I'm proud of the police service, and it is a real privilege to serve as the chair."
She says it's going to take time to adjust to the updates from the Community Safety and Policing Act.
"We're going to notice the changes in the ongoing training that we receive. So, it's always interesting and police service in any community is serious business."
She adds that the challenges they face are not getting any easier.
"When you think of our frontline officers that are out everyday dealing with mental health issues, issues of addiction which are health issues, they're identified as health issues under the Health Act, it's a strain. It really is a strain both financially, and physically, and mentally on our capabilities."
Gignac previous served on the board from 2011 to 2019, and then returned to the board once again in 2022.
Meanwhile, Sophia Chisholm has been elected as vice-chair, taking the role over from Gignac.
Chisholm is currently the Senior Vice-President, Finance at Windsor Family Credit Union (WFCU), and was previously on the board from 2016 to 2018, before joining again as a member in 2023.
