Lt. Col. Jason Winkler
Lieutenant Colonel J.D. Winkler is a lifelong resident of Owensboro, Kentucky. Upon graduating high school, he joined the United States Army and served five years active duty achieving the rank of Sergeant. After leaving the Army, he began working for the Owensboro Police Department in July 2002. Lt. Col. Winkler holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College and a Master of Science degree from the University of the Cumberlands. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico Virginia, the Criminal Justice Executive Development course, and the Academy of Police Supervision at the Department of Criminal Justice Training in Richmond Ky.
Over the years Lt. Col. Winkler has served in several capacities at the Owensboro Police Department including Patrol Supervisor, Training Unit Supervisor, Street Crimes Unit Supervisor, Emergency Response Team Commander, Shift Commander, Professional Standards Unit Investigator, and Field Services Commander. Winker is a member of FOP Lodge 16, Kentucky Tactical Officers Association, National Tactical Officers Association, Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police, FBI National Academy Associates, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He currently serves as the Western Regional Director on the Kentucky Tactical Officers Association Board. Lt. Col. Winkler also serves the community of Owensboro as a member of the board for OASIS, a domestic violence program and licensed women’s substance treatment center for battered, homeless, or chemically dependent women and their children.
The Deputy Chief of Police is the second-highest rank in the police department and reports directly to the Chief of Police. The Deputy Chief is assigned as the commanding officer of major organizational components such as the Patrol Division, Detective Division, Public Safety Communications, and Support Services Division. In addition to carrying out specific division duties, the Deputy Chief may assume the duties of the Chief of Police in his absence and perform related functions in that capacity. The Deputy Chief represents the department at community and business meetings to promote the department’s missions and goals in order to foster mutual trust between the community and the department.
In addition, the Deputy Chief acts as a Chief of Staff to the office of the Chief of Police and keeps the Police Chief informed of all operational activities on a day-to-day basis. The Deputy Chief, with the assistance of his Division Commanders, is the bridge between strategic initiatives and operational activities within the OPD. The primary goal of the Deputy Chief is to coordinate the activities of all police personnel providing services to the citizens of the city of Owensboro. The crime-fighting strategies, the quality of life strategies, and the investigative follow-up activities are presented, discussed, and further refined at monthly Operational Command Staff meetings held by the Deputy Chief.