Police chief named to state Hall of Fame

By ROSEGALIE CINEUS
Posted 2/5/25

Cranston’s police chief, Col. Michael Winquist, a veteran of 35 years in law enforcement, was inducted into the Rhode Island Criminal Justice Hall of Fame last week.  

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Police chief named to state Hall of Fame

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Cranston’s police chief, Col. Michael Winquist, a veteran of 35 years in law enforcement, was inducted into the Rhode Island Criminal Justice Hall of Fame last week.  

The Criminal Justice Hall of Fame was established more than a decade ago to give profile to professionals who have worked to improve and uphold the principles of the criminal justice system in Rhode Island, a news release from the organization says. 

The Hall welcomed eight new members of the state’s criminal justice community were welcomed as the 2024 class and inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Office of the Attorney General. 

Among them was Winquist, police chief in Cranston for more than 10 years. Previously, Winquist held the second-in-command position in the Rhode Island State Police, deputy state superintendent.  

So far, he says, being police chief has been a great experience.  

“[I] get a wide breadth of seeing things from the perspective of being law enforcement in the city and state environment,” Winquist said. “There is some crossover, but some things are unique to a city police." 

The Hall of Fame honor came unexpectedly to Winquist. He found out when Warwick’s police chief, Col. Bradford Connor, called him a few months ago and told him he was nominating him for the honor.  

“First off, it's humbling,” Winquist said about the induction. He said he looked at previous inductees and his peers in the 2024 class and realized “these are people I idolized.” 

One of the people Winquist said he recognized last night was Col. Steven O’Donnell, a former state police superintendent and a 2022 inductee. 

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without him,” Winquist said. “He taught me a lot about policing. He promoted me. I learned a lot just by watching him and how he operated and how he treats the men and women of the state police.” 

In his remarks, Winquist thanked his family and friends for their support and his colleagues for the work they have done together. Cranston police Maj. Robert Quirk was not able to attend, but Winquist thanked him for his support in the department.

Winquist’s family, colleagues and friends were there to celebrate his induction, including his wife of 20 years, Andrea, as well as Cranston police Maj. Todd Patalano, retired state police Lt. Col. Kevin Barry, retired Barrington Police Chief Dino DeCrescenzo, East Providence police Sgt. Diogo Mello, retired state police Col. Steven O’Donnell and Mayor Kenneth Hopkins.

   

“I was honored to support Cranston Police Chief Michael J. Winquist during his induction,” Hopkins said in an

Winquist said he started in law enforcement when he was just 21 years old. His father had been a police chief, too. 

“To my late father, Carl Winquist, who inspired me to pursue a career in law enforcement and follow in his footsteps as a second-generation police chief, thank you for instilling in me the values of integrity, service and perseverance,” Winquist said in his remarks that night.

He said if he didn’t love the job so much, he probably would have been gone a long time ago.  

"Wouldn’t want to do anything else. I like being involved. The officers who work here, that’s the satisfying part, getting the tools that they need,” Winquist said. “This city is phenomenal, they support the Police Department, I work for a phenomenal mayor who is pro-police department." 

Winquist said one of his priorities is the department’s community outreach.  

“We really made that a focus of my time here, and I’m proud of that and how we’ve been able to do that successfully,” Winquist said. “We have good interactions with our citizens, and I think people feel safe. They’re not afraid to call us. There’s a trusting relationship between us and the citizens.” 

Winquist sees Cranston as a good city to work for and highlights the great work the people in his department have put in to keep residents safe. He says they have been successful at keeping crime down and are hitting historic lows. 

“There’s just so many great people here and I’m lucky to have been proud of this for the past decade,” Winquist said. 

It’s nice to be recognized, the chief said. It’s a moment equally humbling and validating for him. 

"As I approach the latter part of my career, it is nice to get recognition for my work, although we don’t do it for [the] recognition. To be among the most legendary names in criminal justice is really humbling." 

The Rhode Island Criminal Justice Hall of Fame 2024 class includes Michelle M. Alves, Toby Ayers, Ralph W. Ezovski in Memoriam, Maj. David A. Lapatin, Col. Stephen J. Lynch, Dana L. Smith, Col. Michael J. Winquist and J. Patrick Youngs III. 

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