Colonel Michael J. Winquist, Chief of the Cranston Police Department, announced the third National Accreditation of the Cranston Police Department by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.  Since becoming Colonel in 2014 there has been a complete overhaul of the policies and procedures of the Cranston Police Department and the department earned national re-accreditation in 2015. This is the second national re-accreditation under his tenure.

The accreditation will remain in effect for four years until the next assessment in 2021.

In November of 2017, the Department participated in an on-site assessment by an assessment team consisting of a former FBI Special Agent assigned to the Washington D.C. Field Office who is now a Chief of Police in New York. He was assisted in the department review by a Lieutenant from a New Jersey Police Department. They completed an in-depth, top-to-bottom review of all policies, procedures, and departmental operations. The accreditation process is intensive and opens the department up to intense scrutiny by an outside, independent organization.

In earning the distinction of the National Law Enforcement Accreditation, the Department also earned Rhode Island State Accreditation. The Cranston Police Department joins a limited number of distinguished law enforcements agencies throughout the country.

“This award further symbolizes the pledge this agency has towards strengthening the relationship with the community and providing the best police practices in the country to better serve the people of Cranston,” the department said in a statement.

Colonel Winquist stated, “I am proud of all of our personnel who collectively played a role in our department earning national accreditation for the third time in the past nine years. Earning CALEA accreditation is no easy task and truly requires a team effort. We remain fully committed in maintaining a standard of excellence throughout our organization, so that the citizens we serve, receive the highest level of police services in which they both deserve and expect. I want to also thank our community partners and public officials, to include Mayor Allan Fung and members of the city council, who participated in the on-site evaluation process and continue to support the mission of the Cranston Police Department.”

Mayor Allan Fung stated, “I commend the men and women of the Cranston Police Department for earning CALEA accreditation for a third consecutive term. Only the top law enforcement agencies in the country achieve this milestone. Along with being a tremendous honor for our city, it shows our officers’ commitment to excellence in every aspect of their work. On behalf of all Cranston residents, I thank Col. Winquist, his command staff and every member of the Cranston Police Department for their work to make Cranston home to a nationally-accredited, model police department.”