By Jeremy Davis
On March 17, 2025, Gene Bowers was officially sworn in as Winnipeg’s 19th Chief of Police, succeeding former Chief of Police, Danny Smyth.
Bowers brings over three decades of experience at the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) where he has been a uniformed officer, an administrative leader, and involved in criminal investigations. He has received the Police Exemplary Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada, and the Excellence in Law Enforcement Award from the Attorney General of Manitoba.
At a luncheon hosted by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce in April, Winnipeg’s new Chief of Police shared some insights on what his focus will be, what his priorities are, and how he sees Winnipeg making adjustments in areas that need improvement.
Overall, Chief Bowers said he was initially concerned with ensuring adequate resources are in the right places. A big focus of his remarks was on Winnipeg’s downtown where there will be a three-pronged approach that prioritizes visibility of officers, enforcement, and engagement with businesses and stakeholders. Chief Bowers specifically highlighted how there would be 12 new foot patrol officers added in Winnipeg’s downtown area by July which would bring the total number of foot patrol officers in the area to 36. He added that a crime analyst would be hired to identify patterns and analyze how to best utilize foot patrols in order to have the maximum impact.
Retail crime and theft have been big topics of concern, not only in Winnipeg’s downtown area but across the city. Chief Bowers highlighted how organized, sophisticated and lucrative the fencing operations have become in Winnipeg. A fencing operation can be defined as a coordinated group which knowingly purchases stolen goods for the purposes of resale at a profit. He went on to discuss how important and successful the Violent Crime and Retail Theft initiative has been at reducing these types of crimes, largely through the same efforts that form the basis of the overall strategy in the downtown area through visibility, enforcement and engagement. The success rate has resulted in the initiative moving from a temporary program to a permanent one.
A large gap identified by Chief Bowers at the event was the lack of safe sobering facilities in the downtown area and how helpful the addition of a facility of this type could be in assisting those dealing with addiction and improving the overall impact on safety in the community. He identified how complex social issues like addiction, homelessness and issues of mental health have become more visible. He communicated how these cannot be addressed solely by the WPS and require collaborative solutions so that these issues are handled with compassion and care in a safe environment.
Chief Bowers made a salient point about how he wants the WPS to be a leader in reconciliation, citing his support for the Truth and Reconciliation’s calls to action and his respect for Justice Murray Sinclair. He hopes to weave reconciliation into all operations and bring Indigenous people into all levels at the WPS.
Chief Bowers made a concerted effort to communicate how important collaboration would be with downtown stakeholders, organizations and businesses both on identifying crime and areas of concern. He specifically mentioned the Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP) as an organization which could help with ensuring safety across the downtown area. The DCSP is a collaborative effort between the City of Winnipeg, Province of Manitoba, and True North Sports and Entertainment, and provides 24/7 non-emergency support and assistance to ensure safety and general wellness of individuals, organizations and businesses in the downtown area.
A plea was made to businesses in attendance, especially those in the downtown area, to ensure they continue to report crime because that reporting is crucial for the WPS to know what’s going on and where resources may be needed. Chief Bowers reiterated that the WPS will be focused on strategic partnerships and will be checking in with businesses because their voices are needed, especially in the downtown area when there are large events occurring.
The commitment made by Chief Bowers to community engagement at this Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce event will likely be reassuring to hear for residential homeowners and businesses who have, in recent times, felt abandoned by police to the point where some have stopped reporting incidents altogether.
The Police Chief’s initial steps have been good ones, and we hope to see those steps transition to actions that will help make Winnipeg a safer place for residential homeowners and businesses.
Jeremy Davis is the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board’s Director External Relations & Market Intelligence.