Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the January twenty twenty six Warwice Department Awards ceremony.

My name is Officer Ryan Shibley, and I will be the MC this evening.

Tonight, we will be recognizing a few officers who were promoted over the past year, as well as several new officers who recently began their careers with the War Police Department.

We will also be recognizing various officers who have received commendations over the past year, as well as the recipients of this year's chief awards.

It is always a great day, a great day for the Warwick Police Department when we have these ceremonies and are able to celebrate and highlight many of our great officers.

At this time, we will have the posting of the colors and the national anthem.

If everyone could please standard.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, sauce of goodness and justice.

We bow our heads tonight before you as we honor these servants of yours.

As new ranks are added and new responsibilities given, and we are grateful for these offices of courage, integrity, and goodness.

In these troublesome times that now challenge this noble profession, and those who wear the badge, we proudly stand with them and are so very thankful for them for the many sacrifices they make and for the dedication that they embody.

Our words of gratitude fall short to repay them.

And so we ask, O Lord, that you help them to always know of your presence in their lives as they turn to you in trials and rejoice with you in victories.

Keep all of them faithful to the tasks ahead.

We ask this of you, O Lord, our God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Thank you, Father.

You may now take your seats.

To my right, the Honorable Mayor Frank J.

Picosi, Council President Anthony Sinapi, Board of Public Safety Members, Chairman Charles Benson, James Paolucci, and Michael Gilbert.

To my left is Colonel Michael Lima, Commander Andrew Sullivan, Major Joel Thomas, Major Robert Hart, and Father Marciano.

I would also like to recognize two retired Warwick Police Department Colonels who are in attendance tonight.

Colonel Stephen McCartney and Colonel Rick Rathbun.

Also here is Gloucester Police Chief Joseph Delpreet, State Representative Earl Reed, General Thomas Hannon, Warwick Fire Chief Peter McMichael, and FOP President Captain Jed Pino.

Also in attendance are Senator, our State Senator and Cranston Police Major Todd Padalano, State Senator Matthew LeMoun, State Senator Mark McKinney, and State Senator Peter Apollonio.

Furthermore, I would also like to recognize uh City Council members William Foley, William Mudo, John Kirby, and also retired Rehoboth Police Chief Stephen Enos.

And as always, I do apologize if I left anyone out, but we do appreciate you being in attendance here tonight.

I'd also like to thank Chief of Staff William Vicenti, active and retired members of the police department, and all of our families and friends for being in attendance.

And lastly, thank you to Director Phil Carlucci and the MIS team for providing a last-minute live stream of tonight's ceremony.

And Phil, I promise I'll get my monthly cybersecurity training done soon.

And if I somehow forget, just know it's because deep down I think your email might be a scam itself.

Good evening, everyone.

Colonel Lima, officers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

I have a great deal of pride in many facets of our community, but none more so than the Warwick Police Department.

Oops.

And they earn that because they are dedicated and passionate about protecting our citizens.

And they also go above and beyond to not only serve our community, but to be a valued part of it.

Our police department played a key role in Warwick being named the safest city in America.

I want to congratulate all of our offices that have been promoted.

The most important part of having an outstanding law enforcement agency is great leadership.

In Warwick, we are very fortunate to have Colonel Lima and his staff provide this, but they have made sure that there is also quality leadership at every level.

And to all of those receiving accommodations and awards tonight, thank you for your dedication and service to the Warwick Police Department and the city of Warwick.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

I would now like to introduce Warwick Chief of Police, Colonel Michael Lima.

I know I'm on the clock.

The mayor's gonna remind me, so I'll try to make this quick.

Good evening, everyone.

I want to give a warm welcome to retired Warwick Police Chiefs McCartney and Rathbun, to our distinguished guests, proud family members, supporters, and most importantly, the dedicated men and women of our police department, both active and retired.

It is truly an honor to stand before you tonight at this annual promotional and award ceremony.

This evening we come together not just to recognize achievements, but to celebrate the commitment, sacrifice, and courage that define who we are as law enforcement professionals.

In a world that often demands perfection, while offering little forgiveness for the challenges we face daily, gatherings like this remind us why we choose this noble calling to serve, to protect, and to make a difference.

Over a century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt, a man who himself knew the weight of public service, having served as New York City Police Commissioner before becoming president, delivered a speech in Paris that contained words that have inspired generations.

Those words speak directly to the heart of what it means to be a police officer.

Allow me to share them with you.

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or with a doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming, but who does actually strive to do the deeds, who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself and a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

These words from Roosevelt's citizenship and a republic speech capture the essence of policing in a way few others can.

Every day, you, the officers in this room, step into the arena.