Jason Winn is now Hillsborough’s permanent police chief.  

Winn had been serving as the interim chief since former Police Chief Duane Hampton retired in March. His swearing-in ceremony will be Oct. 13 at the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall Annex, 105 E. Corbin St.  

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve in the capacity of chief of police with the Hillsborough Police Department,” Winn said. “Our community places a lot of trust in us, and we are working to increase our outreach and to keep building new relationships. We have been making great progress as an agency, and I look forward to being a part of the great things we want to accomplish.”

Town Manager Eric Peterson permanently promoted Winn to the chief position on Sept. 22 after conducting a thorough six-month review.

“I’ve received a lot of positive feedback about Jason’s impact during his tenure as interim chief,” Peterson said. “There is strong support for the work that he’s done and the direction the department is heading.”

As part of the review process, the town manager:

• Surveyed employees in the Hillsborough Police Department.
• Made personal observations.
• Received positive feedback from the town board.
• Gained insights from the executive committee of the Fairview Community Watch, one of the more active community watches in town.

“Jason and the Hillsborough Police Department team have continued what they’re well known for — active and positive community engagement,” Peterson said. “When issues and concerns arise, the department and Jason are quick to reach out and open dialogues with individuals, neighborhoods, businesses and community groups to listen and help solve problems.”

Winn recently worked on restructuring some positions and direct reports to better align the department with police classifications that are common regionally and to balance the reporting structure. In the restructuring, the police major position was reclassified to assistant police chief and a police captain classification was added. The town manager noted the new organizational structure improves the department’s ability to serve Hillsborough’s growing community.

“Jason has also done an excellent job responding to suggestions and priorities identified by police personnel to help the department become even better,” Peterson said, noting the following as a few examples:

• Improvements in training opportunities and officer safety.
• Adjustments to shifts.
• Addressing technology and equipment needs.

Winn has more than 13 years of experience in law enforcement — most of it in Hillsborough. He has most recently served as one of two police majors assisting the chief in the department’s operations.

In 2024, Winn graduated from the Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officers Course at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. The rigorous, 12-week residential course is often taken by officers working toward leading a police department.

In addition to the officers course, Winn has a master’s degree in justice administration from Methodist University and a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Winn’s law enforcement career started in the Hillsborough Police Department in 2012. He was promoted to sergeant in 2016. In 2018, he left to serve as a lieutenant in the Morrisville Police Department for almost a year before rejoining the Hillsborough department in 2019 as a lieutenant. He was promoted to major in 2022. With that promotion, he served as the assistant chief managing administration, criminal investigations and community services.