About Us

The Cranston Police Department is comprised of 153 sworn members and 52 civilian employees.  We service a community of approximately 80,000 citizens.  The City of Cranston covers an area of 28 square miles and contains 30,954 households and 2,940 businesses.

Our History

Sgt. (Ret.) James Ignasher compiled a thorough history of the Cranston Police Department.  Click Here to access the entire book or each chapter individually.  The book is in PDF format and requires .

Divisions

To ensure the best possible command and control over the day to day operations of the department, its personnel have been divided amongst six major divisions. 

These divisions are the Patrol, Detective, Professional Standards, Inspectional Services, Training, and Staff & Services Divisions.  By clicking on the links above, you can learn the function of these individual divisions and also their sub-units.    

Major Divisions & Units of the Department

  • Patrol Division
    • Traffic Unit
    • School Resource Officers
    • Animal Control Unit
  • Detective Division
    • Special Victims Unit
    • Bureau of Criminal Identification
    • Prosecution
    • Special Investigations Unit
  • Office of Professional Standards
  • Inspectional Services Division
    • Office of Accreditation
  • Training Division
    • Community Policing Unit
    • Gang Officer
    • D.A.R.E. Officers
  • Staff & Services Division
    • Report Review
    • Records
"While we watch we care"

The motto of the Cranston Police Department is "Dum Vigilo Curo."  This is Latin for "While I watch I care."  This motto exemplifies the principles and traditions of this department and guide our vision for the future.