The Warwick Police Department was among three law enforcement agencies to be recognized as the first to earn accreditation from the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission, Mayor Scott Avedisian and Colonel Stephen McCartney announced today. Warwick, the Rhode Island State Police, and the Smithfield Police Department were honored Tuesday morning during the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association Technology Expo.

To earn this new accreditation, Warwick had to comply with 200 standards – 188 of which the department already regularly meets to earn national re-accreditation from CALEA – as well as an additional 12 in such areas as social media usage, firearms qualifications, background investigations, and mutual aid agreements with other agencies in non-emergency events.

 

“I congratulate Colonel McCartney and the hardworking men and women of the department for earning this award,” Avedisian said. “This recognition – and the fact that Warwick has been nationally accredited since 1997 – speaks to the department’s professionalism, experience, and dedication to our community. I am very proud of our officers and thank them for their ongoing commitment to ensuring that our department remains one of the best in the state and the country.”

“The credit for the Warwick Police Department passing the state accreditation process belongs to the men and women of the department,” McCartney said. “I would also like to specifically thank the accreditation team, which did a great deal of work to prepare for the inspection.”

Captain Christopher Stewart, Lieutenant Rick Rathbun and Sergeants Joseph Petrarca and Earl Read comprised the accreditation team.