Retiring O'Donnell praised as innovator, 'cop's cop'

By Daniel Kittredge
Posted 9/15/16

In the wake of Col. Steven O'Donnell's unexpected announcement of plans to retire as superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, top elected and law enforcement officials from around the state have offered praise for his service

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Retiring O'Donnell praised as innovator, 'cop's cop'

Posted

In the wake of Col. Steven O’Donnell’s unexpected announcement of plans to retire as superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, top elected and law enforcement officials from around the state have offered praise for his service over a distinguished, decades-long career.

“The guy was always, always working. I’ve never seen anybody with such drive and such work ethic,” said Col. Michael Winquist, chief of the Cranston Police Department and former second-in-command of the state police under O’Donnell. “I think he's going to be greatly missed…Whatever he does in the future, I know he’s going to be successful.”

O’Donnell’s departure, effective at the end of the month, was announced Sept. 8 in a statement from the office of Gov. Gina Raimondo. He has served as superintendent of the state police since 2011, when former Gov. Lincoln Chafee appointed him to the post.

“I appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to serve the people of Rhode Island and lead the state police,” O’Donnell said through the statement. “Law enforcement plays a vital role in strengthening the state, and I look forward to contributing to Rhode Island’s strong future in new ways.”

Raimondo announced State Police Lt. Col. Kevin M. Barry, who served as interim chief of Cranston’s police department for much of 2015, will serve as acting superintendent and acting director of the state Department of Public Safety while a search is conducted for a permanent replacement.

“I am deeply thankful to Col. O’Donnell for his years of distinguished service to the state. He has made great sacrifices and committed his professional life to law enforcement and public safety…I personally appreciate his leadership and partnership over the last two years as one of the most thoughtful and determined leaders in my cabinet,” Raimondo said through the statement.

O’Donnell’s law enforcement careers spans more than 30 years. He began as a Rhode Island corrections officer, and then served as a North Kingstown police officer before joining the state police in 1986. He is perhaps best known for spending several years undercover working to infiltrate the Patriarca crime family.

After O’Donnell retired from the state police in 2009, President Barack Obama appointed him the U.S. Marshal for the District of Rhode Island. He held that position until the spring of 2011, when Chafee appointed him to lead the state police.

Winquist’s ties to O’Donnell trace back to his start on the state police in 1990. At the time, O’Donnell was still working on the road, and he was one of Winquist’s training officers.

“I really had a great advantage of learning a lot from him,” Winquist said.

The two went on to work together in various other capacities over the years, including in the detective bureau and other units.

“I was very fortunate our careers overlapped,” Winquist said. “He’s someone I always looked up to…You tried to pick his brain and hope that you could emulate some of his qualities.”

Winquist said O’Donnell’s diverse experience, including his time as a corrections officer and a local patrolman, gave him a broad range of knowledge and an ahead-of-its-time focus on the value of information sharing.

“He was like an encyclopedia,” the Cranston chief said. “He was very intelligence-oriented.”

When O’Donnell returned to the state police in 2011, Winquist was a lieutenant. The new superintendent tapped him to lead the state Fusion Center, an innovative initiative focused on information sharing with other state and federal law enforcement agencies across the country.

“[O’Donnell] saw the trend and the importance of intelligence sharing,” Winquist said. “We really enhanced a lot of our relationships with the FBI, the DEA, a lot of our federal law enforcement partners…He really modernized the state police.”

Winquist said the “biggest honor” of his state police career was being appointed O’Donnell’s deputy superintendent in 2013. He was appointed chief in Cranston in 2014.

Winquist said O’Donnell’s legacy encompasses more than his undercover work and focus on innovation. He said the departing superintendent has helped preserve the culture of the state police – calling him a “cop’s cop” – while building lasting relationships across the state’s communities.

“He’s a person that I trust and has the highest integrity…His demeanor was always very calm and professional,” Winquist said. “He really knew the community. He made sure the state police were a part of it.”

Winquist said O’Donnell also worked to share the resources and expertise of state police with local departments across Rhode Island.

“He always told me, if a local police chief calls you...make sure they get what they need,” he said, noting that he has made such requests since arriving in Cranston.

Winquist said he also worked with Barry while with the state police and has the “highest respect for him as well.” He said Barry – a former U.S. Marine – is a “good problem solver” and is “in tune with the culture and tradition of the Rhode Island State Police.”

Asked whether he has interest in the state police superintendent’s post, Winquist said he is committed to his role in Cranston.

“I’m best served being the chief of the Cranston Police Department. I’ve enjoyed the job immensely...I think we've accomplished a great deal,” he said. “I look forward to being here for a long time.”

Many other state leaders have reacted to O’Donnell’s impending departure over the last several days.

“Colonel O’Donnell dedicated his career to public service and public safety,” U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said through a statement. “We are grateful for his leadership and unwavering commitment to the people of Rhode Island. I would like to express my sincere appreciation and admiration for his work and thank him for his many years of service. I wish he and his family all the best.”

“I am grateful to Colonel O’Donnell for his decades of exemplary service protecting the people of Rhode Island,” U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said through a statement. “I have had the honor and pleasure to work with Colonel O’Donnell over many years, from running investigations in which he was an undercover operative, to joining Senator Reed in recommending that President Obama select him as our United States Marshal.  His work ethic, dedication, judgment, and integrity represent the very best in law enforcement. I wish him success in all his future endeavors.”

U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin in a statement said he has “always admired and respected” O’Donnell.

“I cannot express the depth of my gratitude to the colonel for all that he has done to make Rhode Island a safer place for all of us. His departure from the State Police is a loss for law enforcement and for Rhode Island as a whole,” the congressman’s statement continues.

Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin in a statement said the state’s citizens owe O’Donnell a “great debt of gratitude” for his decades of service.

“Colonel O’Donnell has rightfully earned his reputation as a hard-nosed cop, a fearless officer, and a great leader, and he has earned the respect of the fine men and women of the Rhode Island State Police, as well as the respect of the entire law enforcement community,” the statement reads. “He has dedicated his entire professional life to protecting the lives of Rhode Islanders. His outreach to every community of this state is unparalleled. His departure is a true loss for law enforcement in Rhode Island.”

This week, it emerged that Lt. Col. Todd E. Catlow, the current deputy superintendent and a 24-year veteran of the state police, will also retire.

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