Cranston has a new chief of police.

Rhode Island State Police Lt. Col. Michael Winquist, Mayor Allan Fung’s selection for the post, received the unanimous backing of the City Council on Monday to conclude the advise and consent process. He will formally leave his state police post this week, and is on track to start work in the city Oct. 1.

“Today is a very proud day for me personally and professionally,” he said.

Winquist, a resident of Barrington, was introduced as Fung’s selection in late August. A 24-year veteran of the state police, he became second-in-command to State Police Col. Steven O’Donnell last year.

He will be the first chief chosen from outside the Cranston department in recent memory.

“It’s not lost on me how important this is,” he said.

The new chief arrives following months of controversy, which began with allegations of retaliatory ticketing on the part of police late last year and led to the involvement of state police. Since then, a variety of personnel issues and legal matters have emerged, and the department’s two top-ranking officers – Col. Marco Palombo Jr. and Maj. Robert Ryan – have retired.

Another top-ranking officer, Capt. Stephen Antonucci – who at the time was president of the police union – remains on paid leave, accused of orchestrating the ticketing and facing the recommendation he be fired.

Winquist said he is looking forward to a “new day” for the department.

“I’m aware of the major issues that took place,” Winquist said. “This is a fresh start for the Cranston Police Department … I’m a neutral person. I’m coming from the outside. I think that’s a positive.”

Winquist’s annual salary will be $113,000. That figure is higher than Palombo’s $100,217 yearly pay, but since he is not receiving benefits – and, in another first, has agreed to participate in a 401(k) plan rather than a traditional pension – figures provided by the Fung administration show the new chief’s employment will in fact save the city $28,230 annually compared with the total compensation Palombo had been receiving.

The council’s advise and consent process began with a special hearing of the Finance Committee on Sept. 18, which resulted in a 7-0 vote to recommend Winquist’s appointment.

Paul Saccoccio, a retired lieutenant who serves as national representative for International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 301, spoke on behalf of the union and its president, Patrolman Robert Santagata, at the finance hearing. He was strongly supportive of Winquist’s nomination.

“I have the utmost faith in him and his ability to lead the department forward,” he said. “I think Mayor Fung’s selection was an excellent one.”

Saccoccio did add, however, that the union strongly urges the new chief to fill a pair of vacant major positions through internal promotion.

That position was echoed on Monday, and the union may pursue a grievance if the new majors are chosen from outside the Cranston department. The Fung administration’s view is that there are no legal barriers to outside hires being made, but the mayor has not definitively spoken in support of either course.

Winquist also did not rule out considering external candidates for the major positions, but said he intends to first review internal possibilities. He said his impression is that “excellent candidates” exist within the department.

“I would look first to the inside,” he said. “This department wants the best people leading it.”

Winquist did say he feels having two majors in place is necessary, citing the size of the force and the community.

“I feel the rank structure’s appropriate,” he said.

Ward 1 Councilman Steven Stycos urged Winquist to select “the people that you feel are the best” for the major positions, whether from inside or outside the department.

Another key issue that arose during the finance hearing is the status of a comprehensive assessment of the Cranston department being completed by state police.

State Police Capt. Kevin Barry has served as acting chief since Palombo was placed on paid leave in January, and State Police Lt. Matthew Moynihan has served as his second-in-command. When state police became involved, the purpose was three-fold – to provide temporary leadership, to investigate the ticketing allegations and to complete the comprehensive review of operations and personnel matters.

Citywide Councilman Michael Farina, who previously said his vote on Winquist’s appointment would be contingent on receiving an update on the review’s status, said he had addressed the issue during a Sept. 15 executive session.

Asked by Farina to provide a public update on the matter, Jerry Cordy, the city’s director of administration, said the review would result in the completion of a written report, although the retirement of Ryan and subsequent additional vacancy in the department’s command structure have hindered the process. He said the document would likely be ready in December, although he did not commit to its being made public, saying some elements may deal with sensitive matters and need to be redacted.

Farina praised Winquist’s “exemplary resume,” and said his focus on the state police assessment is based on a desire for “full transparency” for the public in the wake of the recent controversies.

“We trust the state police. We’d like to see the opinion of the state police at some point … and I don’t think that’s too much to ask,” he said.

Council President John Lanni echoed that sentiment.

“The citizens of the city would like to know what happened. As a matter of fact, this council would like to know what happened,” he said.

As part of the discussion of the assessment, Winquist described his role on a “resource team” in connection with the state police involvement in Cranston. As Barry and Moynihan took command and began their investigation and review, he said, the team served as a sounding board and a chance to provide briefings and updates.

Winquist said the matters discussed during those meetings did not concern the day-to-day operations of the department.

“Most of the issues I was aware of were personnel issues,” he said.

Winquist also addressed questions regarding the expectations for conduct within the department. Much of the recent controversy surrounding Cranston Police has been tied to personnel issues rooted in Palombo’s tenure, some of which have led to legal action against the city and high-ranking officials.

“Our expectations will be very clear that everyone’s treated the same,” he said, adding that violators will be dealt with “severely.”

Ward 3 Councilman Paul Archetto said in the wake of the ticketing flap – in which the wards of Archetto and Stycos were allegedly blanketed with overnight parking tickets following a November 2013 finance committee vote against a new police contract – the “professionalism of the Cranston Police Department was at an all-time low” and was “basically in shambles.”

Archetto praised the work of state police over recent months, and said their leadership has done much to improve the department’s morale and culture. He spoke in terms that have been frequently used in reference to divisions within the Cranston department.

“There’s no longer an ‘A team’ and a ‘B team.’ There’s one team,” he said.

Archetto said Winquist’s role would be to “restore confidence and trust in the Cranston Police Department.”

Winquist agreed with the assessment of what Barry and Moynihan have accomplished, and said he plans to build on their success.

“I think there’s been a culture of change over the last nine months, and my goal would be to continue that,” he said, adding that he hopes to bring about a “healing process … between the police department and the community.”

Elsewhere during the discussion, Stycos asked Winquist about his approach to diversity within the department, citing a recent New York Times story that focused on suburban police departments in the wake of the events in Ferguson, Mo.

He specifically inquired about steps the new chief would take to promote “the composition of the police department reflecting the composition of the community.” He noted that the same dynamic is seen in other public personnel groups – including firefighters and teachers – and said his question was not meant to single out the police department.

Winquist said he would focus on outreach and building connections with the various communities within the city. That, he said, would foster an environment of trust and enhance recruiting efforts.

“I think it’s important to let them know they have an opportunity to serve,” he said.

While the proceedings had serious moments, Winquist’s confirmation was smooth and characterized largely by praise from members of the council.

Lanni, who described Winquist’s resume as “outstanding,” said he had spoken with O’Donnell about the lieutenant colonel ahead of the finance hearing.

“He told me right up front, you’re a fair and equitable person,” Lanni said. “The problems that started with the Cranston Police Department did not start with the rank-and-file policemen … All they want is good leadership that treats them fairly. I think you can provide that.”

“I’ve heard a lot of great things about you. I think you’re going to be a great addition,” Ward 5 Councilman Richard Santamaria said.

“I’m impressed by your experience,” Stycos said.

“I think we’re very, very fortunate to have you,” Archetto said.

“I think [Winquist’s] leadership will do a lot to heal the department,” Ward 6 Councilman Michael Favicchio said.

“He can give fresh perspective,” Ward 2 Councilman Donald Botts said.

There were also moments of levity during the process. At the Sept. 18 gathering, Lanni inquired regarding any personal connection Winquist might have to the local force.

“You’re not related to anyone in the Cranston Police Department?” Lanni asked.

“No, sir,” Winquist replied.

“Thank God,” Lanni said, drawing laughter from those present.

Winquist began his career as a trooper in the 1990s, moving up through the ranks to become a detective and spending time with a number of major crimes units and task forces. Perhaps most significant among his achievements has been his role in the establishment of Rhode Island’s Fusion Center, an intelligence-sharing outfit funded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Six candidates applied for the Cranston chief’s position, all from outside the department. The members of the selection committee that reviewed the applicants and recommended finalists to the mayor were Cordy, Chief of Staff Carlos Lopez, South Kingstown Police Chief Vincent Vespia, New Shoreham Police Chief Vincent Carlone, attorney Christopher Stowe and NAACP Providence branch president James Vincent.