Cranston Police Recognized for Community Outreach by MADD

CRANSTON, RI—One of the most troublesome crimes police deal with on a daily basis is drunk driving.

Drunk drivers put not just themselves at risk—they threaten everyone else on the road.

Proactive police departments try to do more than just catch drunk drivers in the act and arrest them before they cause carnage. They work to prevent it from happening in the first place, through community outreach and education programs. They also have to deal with the fallout of drunk driving accidents, supporting victims, prosecuting offenders and even advocate for victims by calling for tougher penalties.

The Cranston Police Department has been recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for their efforts tackling the issue head on.

The award came last week during an event recognizing more than 25 professionals and agencies who have shown dedication to tackling the problem on all fronts.

Specifically, the department's Office of Community Outreach was honored for their strategic planning and establishment of intervention strategies and education programs to prevent crime in Cranston along with their fostering of partnership with people in the community.

“I was honored to accept the MADD Community Outreach Award on behalf of the men and women of the Cranston Police Department," said Cranston Police Chief Col. Michael J. Winquist Jr. "We recognize the importance of enhancing police-community relations with all segments of the population we proudly serve. I commend the many officers who have volunteered their time to make these programs possible. The investment we have made in the many community programs we have initiated is making Cranston a safer community."

In 2015, the office worked to build a number of community partnerships, including one with Cranston Community Action Program and the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership. In prior years, the department has partnered with CCAP to put anti-drug ads on police cruisers. In addition, the department's Training Division and SRO Unit "conducts numerous child safety sessions throughout the year with organizations such as CCAP at venues such as YMCA Safety Day, URI Family Day, Girl Scout and Boy Scout Jamborees and other fairs and festivals throughout the city to ensure that this valuable service is made available to a greater number of families," according to a police news release.

Other initiatives include a program that began in the spring of 2015 with the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership to bring police into schools to create positive interactions between police and youngsters in the hopes of laying the groundwork for strong relationships when they grow into adulthood.

Police became mentors and tried to connect to at-risk students to serve as positive role models and offer a glimpse behind the badge; cops are people with hearts and families, too.

The effort has paid dividends. Police said five out of the seven students mentored in the spring had missed two days of school or less and three had perfect attendance. Before the program, all of the students had attendance problems.

The award was given on Friday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick during the 2016 Law Enforcement Recognition Breakfast.

“MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving endorses and encourages high-visibility law enforcement and continuing diligence on the part of our police, prosecutors and probation professionals.” said Eric Creamer, MADD Rhode Island Executive Director. “And there are so many individuals involved in furthering our mission to prevent drunk and drugged driving, serve victims and prevent underage drinking. This annual event is our way of saying thanks to those who dedicate their lives to this important work.”