Windsor taxpayers won’t be paying out remaining contract for Chief of Police

Windsor taxpayers will not be paying for Windsor Police Chief’s contract once he retires in November.

Windsor taxpayers are off the hook for outgoing Chief of Windsor Police Jason Bellaire’s contract.

Bellaire said he won’t be getting paid once he officially retires in November.

“I’m just going to be really honest and say you’re not going to see me getting paid beyond the day that I work,” Bellaire said Friday in an interview on AM800 CKLW.

Bellaire announced his retirement – effective November 2025 – earlier this week, even though his contract doesn’t expire until December 2027.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to make it that far,” Bellaire said.

Bellaire has been Chief, officially, since December 2022.

He was Acting Chief between March and December, after Pam Mizuno retired two and a half years into her contact.

Although the board wouldn’t speak about Mizuno’s contract specifically, she was paid more than $200,000 for 2022, even though she only worked the first quarter of the year.

Chief Bellaire said he always had a “window of retirement planned ahead” and decided “a while ago” now was the time.

He wanted to give the Windsor Police Services Board ten months to find a replacement, while noting they might not have to look far.

“We have plenty of people here at the Windsor Police Service who could jump into a variety of positions, really without much fanfare and drama,” the Chief said.

Bellaire wouldn’t say what his plans are for retirement, other than spending more time with his family.

Bellaire hinted on “Mornings with Mike and Meg” about upcoming announcements both for a new partnership with “health sector partners” and a renewed focus by the Major Crimes Division on cold cases.

“Last time we did that, I think we cleared two cold cases. So, I’m looking forward to things like that,” the Chief said.

“I don’t have a foot out the door yet. I’m still pretty excited about what’s going on inside our organization.”