Take a Breath: Chief Tony Slowik leads with hometown values

Published 1:30 am Friday, August 7, 2026

What’s next for Tony Slowik?

“Retirement,” the Oak Harbor Police Chief says with a grin.

It’s not what you think. He doesn’t mean next week or next year. He’s looking a decade-plus down the road. And while he’s aware that he serves at the pleasure of the Mayor, Slowik sees no reason to go anywhere but right here at home where he grew up.

Slowik’s law enforcement career spanned 20 years in the OHPD ranks before he was named Chief three years ago. Another pro in his position might make Oak Harbor a stepping stone to a bigger city and a new challenge. Not Slowik.

“I feel called to serve here,” he says. “Being in my home town is meaningful to me. It connects me personally to our department’s mission of service, and to our values of respect, integrity, and excellence.”

Those values keep Slowik focused on fairness and impartiality in enforcing the law. While he smirks about the occasional arrest of personal acquaintances in this small community, he knows there’s no place for politics or favoritism on his watch.

“We take an oath to uphold the law,” he says. “People have biases, but we have to stay neutral, especially in divisive times. Investigations have to be independent, based on the letter of the law.”

It’s never that simple on the street. Police work is challenging and complicated, and Slowik knows how that affects turnover and morale. “Coming out of COVID and the demand for police reforms, we saw the swinging pendulum of community attitudes toward law enforcement,” he says. “But Oak Harbor leans toward support for first responders, and we try to focus on public safety.”

Still, like many departments nationwide, OHPD has seen significant personnel changes in recent years. “We’ve had 2/3 turnover since 2019,” Slowik says, so recruiting and training have been major objectives. The good news for Oak Harbor is that Slowik won’t hire just any warm body to fill a uniform.

“We look for honesty and integrity. We want to know about their life experiences. We want people who have faced adversity, and we want to know how they faced it. This job is tough enough,” Slowik says, without putting officers under stress they can’t handle. The department “screens a lot of candidates, and it has to be a right fit. We want people who want to serve in Oak Harbor. People who want to raise their families here.”

Slowik sees those recruiting efforts paying off as OHPD continues to focus on quality policing. He’s brought experienced command staff in from other places, adding diverse expertise and challenging officers at all levels to keep getting better at their work.

Even with improvements in recruiting, training, and staff retention, law enforcement will always be stressful work. The daily grind of potential danger, plus the added pressure of public scrutiny, can lead to burnout. Slowik recognizes this, and says OHPD does its best to be proactive and support officers’ mental health. The first example he names is Chaplain Jeff Humphrey, who was featured in this column in March. Slowik also notes OHPD’s peer support team, who receive extra training to support fellow staff following a critical event.

Slowik says state and federal grants have helped to pay for exercise equipment and coaching services. And, beginning this month, a one-year grant has funded a law enforcement psychologist who will ride with officers and meet with every member of the department.

Unsurprisingly, Slowik is all-in on continuous improvement. As an OHPD Captain, he attended the selective and prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The invitation-only, ten-week course draws senior law enforcement professionals from all over the country. They build skills in advanced investigative techniques, leadership, and fitness. Slowik believes this experience was key in his ability to serve Oak Harbor’s citizens.

A huge concern on those citizens’ minds today is homelessness, along with the crime, addiction, and mental health issues that seem to go with it. Slowik understands. He’s been open about his opinion that SPiN Cafe, Oak Harbor’s daytime shelter for homeless citizens, could find a more appropriate location. He acknowledges that people see strange behavior on our streets, and view it as a threat. But he says solutions are more complicated than moving SPiN, arresting addicts, or forcing them into treatment.

“Law enforcement is just a small piece,” Slowik says of OHPD’s role. “We’re asked to do much more.” His officers work in partnership with other service providers, including SPiN Cafe, along with Island County Human Services. “Washington State law,” says Slowik, “sets a high threshold to detain a citizen over mental health or addiction issues. Services like drug treatment and therapy are voluntary. It’s their choice. The Island County employees see so much rejection of services they offer, it has to be stressful for them.”

At SPiN Café, Executive Director Michele Hines says SPiN “has always enjoyed and appreciated our relationship with Chief Slowik and the whole department. Chief Slowik has always treated us with respect, even when he didn’t necessarily agree with us, our position on helping people, or our location. He has been very responsive to our concerns and has always gotten back to me quickly.”

Hines and her staff often ask police officers to just stop by, to maintain visibility and good relations. Then the public sees squad cars at SPiN, and some people assume there’s a crime when it was simply a proactive effort to prevent problems.

That’s life in the spotlight, doing the right thing and still being misunderstood. Like Hines, Slowik takes it all in stride. He feels honored to serve as Chief, and believes he has the ability and the temperament to bring people together, even in these divided times. The best leaders, he says, listen and empathize. They provide clear direction. They try to bring people together as partners. And the key to it all, says Slowik, is honesty.

When asked to name a community leader who best exemplifies those traits, Slowik doesn’t hesitate: “My dad.” He means Jim Slowik, former mayor, councilmember, and longtime Oak Harbor business owner. “He’s a great role model. I still call him for advice.”

Slowik’s family support doesn’t stop there. He credits his wife, Gina, and his adult daughters, Trinity and Marina, for smoothing the bumps that come with police work. “Gina’s amazing,” he says. “She’s the rock in my life.”

Former Oak Harbor Councilmember Rick Almberg isn’t surprised that Slowik leans into family for strength. Almberg served with the senior Slowik on the City Council, including Jim Slowik’s term as mayor. He says Chief Slowik is “approachable, respectful, decisive, and never heavy-handed… very similar to his father.”

Those are some family values we can all appreciate. And when we see those values in a public servant who is entrusted with our community’s safety, that appreciation goes double. Stick around a while, Chief.

William Walker’s monthly “Take a Breath” column seeks paths to unity on Whidbey Island in polarized times. Find his personal opinions on sports, politics, and culture at https://playininthedirt.substack.com.