A Louisville Metro Police assistant chief is retiring as part of restructuring announced this week by Chief Robert White.
Lt. Col. Terri Winstead-Wilfong, who started her law-enforcement career as a Kentucky state trooper in 1981, said she plans to enjoy time with her family during the holidays and then begin looking around in the private sector, and perhaps other police departments, to see what she might do next.
Her retirement is effective at the end of the month, though the change in her position took effect Wednesday. Winstead-Wilfong, 48, is being replaced by Maj. Tim Emington, who now oversees several police units, including public integrity.
Neither Winstead-Wilfong nor Maj. Troy Riggs, the department's chief of staff, would discuss specific reasons for her leaving. But Riggs said White generally believes that it is good to move people around periodically.
"As in the past, the chief has made it clear that changing the jobs keeps ideas fresh," Riggs said. "It keeps us on the cutting edge of law enforcement."
Also Wednesday, the chief announced that Maj. Tony Denham will no longer command the city's 7th Division in southeastern Jefferson County. Maj. Larry Watkins will move from the 8th Division to fill that vacancy.
Denham could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Winstead-Wilfong, who joined the former county police department in 1985, was elevated to assistant chief by White after the city and county departments merged.
Most recently, she oversaw the support bureau, which handles specialty units, including homicide and the SWAT team.
"It was a wonderful experience to be able to do what I've done and be an assistant chief under the new Louisville Metro Police Department," Winstead-Wilfong said yesterday.
Riggs said other assignments might be changed after the first of the year.