NEW: Cranston Police Chief Palumbo Retires
Monday, March 17, 2014
Cranston Chief of Police Colonel Marco Palumbo, Jr. announced his retirement today.
Palumbo had been placed on paid leave following the ticketing controversy in November which saw two City Council members' districts blanketed with tickets, which prompted a subsequent investigation.
Statement by Col. Marco Palombo, Jr.
Following my reinstatement as Chief of Police, I informed Mayor Allan Fung that I am retiring as Chief of Police effective March 17, 2014.
Having accomplished the professional goals I set for myself and the department when I was appointed Chief in 2009, I have for some time been considering new opportunities. I believe now is the time for me to take on new challenges. I will continue my work helping to coordinate cold case investigations of homicide victims by working with the Institute for Study & Practice of Nonviolence, and I intend to be actively involved in the teaching and training of the police science. I am also considering corporate opportunities consistent with my areas of expertise, my recent graduation from the FBI National Academy at Quantico and my leadership performance studies at Harvard University.
I retire as a police officer after 27 years of honorable and dedicated service to the community where I grew up, went to school, was married and chose to raise my own family with the strong confidence that Cranston is a safe community thanks to the men and women of the Cranston Police Department.
The accomplishments achieved by the 153 sworn officers of this Department, which I have been proud to lead for the last four and a half years, demonstrate the professionalism of these individuals and have placed Cranston at the forefront of public safety. By working together, we have fulfilled the Department’s Strategic Plan. Some of the milestones we have reached include:
• Implementation of geographic accountability for the uniformed division utilizing community policing and CompStat to track and address felonies and misdemeanors.
• The addition of seven new police officers funded as a result of a $1.4million competitive grant request we submitted to the Department of Justice for community policing support- nearly $2 million in grant funding overall.
• Interview training and certification for each detective and leadership training for every supervisor from the rank of Sergeant and up from the FBI, Roger Williams University, and Police Executives Research Forum.
• A workforce more diverse than at any time in department history.
• Establishment of neighborhood watch groups and the formation of Keep Cranston Safe –a group dedicated to ensuring a watchful eye on sex offenders at Harrington Hall. That collaboration led to "Operation Vigilance" a first of its kind program in Rhode Island that partnered school bus drivers, police and technology to automate police presence at bus stops, playgrounds and other proximate locations of offender residences.
• Implementation of interactive and social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, to provide the community with crime reports and automated sex offender alerts.
• Partnerships with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force to successfully reduce the growing presence of gang activity in our city.
Immediately following the tragedy at Sandy Hook, CT we worked with Cranston Schools to conduct safety assessments of all of our school facilities to improve emergency protocols. As part of this process our officers provided training to hundreds of administrators and staff and conducted numerous public forums on the initiative. Each member of the Department receives regular active shooter training to maintain our readiness.
I am most proud of the fact that for the first time in the history of the Cranston Police Department we received national accreditation in 2012 from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). At the same time as part of that process, our Department also received a 94% approval rating in a community survey from the citizens of Cranston. In late 2013 our Department also received accreditation from the Rhode Island Police Chief’s Association. As a result, Cranston is one of only four police departments in Rhode Island to receive accreditation from both organizations.
These achievements are a direct result of the dedicated work of the men and women of the Cranston Police Department. I have had the great honor to serve with these courageous and compassionate professionals for nearly three decades and that distinction is a reward unto itself.
I am confident that they will continue to reach new and ever improving heights in policing our wonderful City.
I wish to thank Mayor Fung for his commitment to public safety and for allowing me the opportunity to lead such a special group of people in protecting the City I love.
- Col. Marco Palombo, (Ret.) Chief of Police, City of Cranston.
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