Criminal Justice Hall used to inspire trainees

In Rhode Island those who work in law enforcement are all too often treated with disdain and blamed for everything from taxes to speeding tickets.
Now something is being done to change that.
For the past three years a monument has been growing – the Criminal Justice Hall of Fame – at the Lincoln campus of the Community College of Rhode Island, which is home to the state’s municipal-police training academy. More than two dozen people have been inducted since the Hall of Fame was launched in 2012.
At a planned June 3 ceremony at Warwick’s Crowne Plaza Providence-Warwick hotel, 11 more names were due to be added to the roster.
“We have a good, strong justice system in this state, and that’s because of the work done by dedicated individuals,” said Attorney General Peter Kilmartin. “Hopefully people will recognize these great men and women who are working for the public, and they’ll have more faith in the system.”
The Hall of Fame is largely Kilmartin’s brainchild, but he’s not in charge. A nonprofit has been established, run by a board of trustees, to make the whole thing independent of the attorney general’s office. A nominating committee proposes names to add to the list, and the trustees make the final decision. The nonprofit also solicits donations for a plaque and perhaps some exhibits.
“It shows appreciation and recognition for people who don’t get recognized enough, the men and women who have performed exemplary service in the criminal-justice system,” said Col. Steven O’Donnell of the R.I. State Police, who sits on the board of trustees.
The Hall is located on the Lincoln campus in part to inspire those training to become police officers. “Those who are studying there will be seeing the names of people they should emulate, people who can serve as role models,” O’Donnell said. Steven Pare, commissioner of public safety for Providence, one of this year’s inductees, called the recognition “humbling.
“For recruits to see the names of the people honored, that sets a standard for our profession,” he said. “They are giants in our criminal, justice system. I never expected this.”
The honor also came as a surprise to Henry Gemma, a retired Rhode Island Superior Court judge and a former assistant attorney general. He now lives in Florida, and missed the headlines when the Hall of Fame was established in 2012.
“I didn’t know it existed, but I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “It’s good to have people remember your career. The attorney general has taken a step in the right direction.”
Kilmartin expects to see exhibits and names listed on a permanent roster very soon. “It’s really in its infancy right now, but as the Hall and the board of trustees … grow, we envision partnering with CCRI and other institutions to showcase the inductees.”
Other 2014 inductees include: Joseph Cardin, superintendent, Rhode Island Training School; the late William A. Dimitri Jr., Superior Court; Zygmunt J. Friedemann, former state representative; U.S. Marshal John J. Leyden (retired); the late Florence K. Murray, Supreme Court; Maj. Peter J. O’Connell, State Police (retired); Police Chief Richard S. Tamburini, Johnston; the late Commissioner Leo P. Trambukis, Providence Public Safety; Maj. Michael J. Urso, Jr., State Police (retired). •

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