BADGE OF HONOR
Chief Carey celebrated by colleagues for his 32 years in law enforcement
WOONSOCKET – Police Chief Thomas S. Carey helped the Police Department look at itself and its community with pride each year through an annual department Recognition Awards Ceremony.
And when this year’s ceremony arrived on Thursday, it was time for Carey to step into that spotlight during a special edition of the awards that honored his contributions to the department.
Carey is retiring as chief after heading the local department for over seven years and earlier serving 25 years with the St. Petersburg Police Department in Florida.
It was Carey’s commitment to training an ever younger local department and helping its members connect with the Woonsocket community as a whole that garnered him the highest praise during the tribute ceremony.
U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha, district of Rhode Island, joined Colonel Stephen O’Donnell, superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, as guest speakers at the Woonsocket Rotary Club sponsored tribute to Carey at St. Ann’s.
Neronha noted the beauty of the setting in the one-time French Canadian parish church as one of the city’s many assets after stepping up to the podium beneath its ornately painted and soaring ceilings, a location Carey also came to treasure after taking on his local post.
“When I became a U.S. Attorney in 2009 I really felt like the U.S. Attorney needed to get out of the office in Providence and go and meet all of the police chiefs across the state,” Neronha said while explaining how he first met Carey on one of those visits.
“I really learned a great deal from those trips and I remember meeting with Chief Carey and we really hit it off almost immediately and that is probably an experience everyone in this room has
had,” Neronha said.
“I don’t know if there is a member of law enforcement who has the kind of warmth that Chief Carey does. He is incredibly good at his job and he has a personal warmth about him that you don’t often see in law enforcement,” he said.
Over time, Neronha returned to Woonsocket a number of times to work with Carey and his department on an assortment of cases and the U.S. Attorney’s impression of Carey was only enhanced.
“It became very clear to me that this was a person who not only had great personal warmth but had great personal strength and great personal integrity and really was a transformative figure here in Woonsocket,” Neronha said.
“I remember coming in and meeting with his command staff and really being impressed at the way he had, with the help of his command staff, nurtured and built a fine police department. A police department which this city should be incredibly proud of today,” Neronha said.
“I don’t know that there is a city police department in the entire state that I don’t feel more comfortable working with than the Woonsocket Police Department. And that is really a tribute to Chief Carey as well as the men and women in the department itself. And the city really should be very, very proud of its police department,” he said.
Neronha said it is not easy to be a member of law enforcement these days with the constant scrutiny that police and prosecutors are under “as we should be,” adding “we take an oath to uphold the law and we should be held to that oath.”
But that also means police officers must display tremendous “patience” in their jobs “and you can only display that patience if you are lead by someone with great patience himself, someone with great personal integrity and someone who is dedicated to training his police officers in a way that they can serve, really serve their community well,” Neronha said.
“So I’m so proud to have worked with Chief Carey over the years and I’m more proud to call him a friend. I really wish you well chief in your retirement,” the U.S. Attorney said.
Col. O’Donnell took a moment to acknowledge all the local police department and fire department members attending the recognition ceremony that included tributes to members of both city agencies, and offered that many city residents likely do not understand how much they do for local residents in the course of their jobs.
In opening the awards ceremony, Public Safety Director Eugene Jalette had outlined the daily volume of work members of the police department complete while handling the calls for service that come each day, O’Donnell said. On the department’s three shifts on just one day last week Jalette said department members handled over 800 calls for service according to Jalette’s tally the Superintendent noted.
“I know we have first responders here and fire also and I want to make sure you know that what you do every day matters,” O’Donnell said. The work completed by the law enforcement and fire department members is a credit to their department and themselves, according to O’Donnell.
“So on behalf on the men and women of the state police I salute you on your awards tonight,” the Colonel said.
To Carey, O’Donnell offered praise for his leadership role in bringing the department to the level of respect it holds today.
“Chief, you came here eight years ago and you were the right person at the right time,” O’Donnell said.
Like Neronha, O’Donnell said working in law enforcement can be challenging and a job that takes its toll on those facing the pressures of leadership.
Carey has shouldered that burden and for that reason O’Donnell said “we commend you for what you’ve done here, for eight years of your stewardship of this police department. You can’t but help but notice the professionalism of the men and women of this agency when you walk in, how sharp, how polished, how professional you are on a day in and day out basis,” O’Donnell said in praise of the department’s chief and his leadership. “And if I am recognizing it, certainly so are all of you here,” O’Donnell said.
The Superintendent of the State Police also brought along awards from his agency to leave with Carey as did many others during the ceremony, including the City’s legislative delegation who arrived there after a late ses- sion in Providence.
Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt had special praise for Carey while noting that he could easily have chosen to retire after her election to office two years ago and rejoin his children and other family members still living in Florida.
To honor Carey, BaldelliHunt called up the members of her administration who have worked closely with the chief during that time, Human Services Director Linda Plays, Fire Chief Paul Shatraw, Emergency Management Director Tim Walsh, Finance Director Christine Chamberland, Michael Annarummo for special projects and others.
“Just about each and every Tuesday in our staff meeting, we sat down together and worked to determine how do we make this community a better community,” BaldelliHunt said.
“This is basically the team that Chief Carey worked with for a little over two years and I can tell you we certainly made some great progress over the last two years and a big part of that was due to the fact that Chief Carey was also a part of that team,” the Mayor said.
Baldelli-Hunt noted City Council Christopher Beauchamp and Council Vice President Robert Moreau, in attendance at the ceremony, had been a part of Carey’s selection committee and said she wished to thank them “for the great insight that they had.” Both will be continuing in that role on the selection committee for Carey’s replacement, she noted.
And while commending Carey for his service to the community, Baldelli-Hunt said she was grateful to have had the “opportunity to work with him and have him as our chief” during the past two years. “I appreciate that and I appreciate him being a part of this administration and being a part of our team. I truly am grateful to having had that opportunity to work along side him and I am thankful to him for all the accomplishments he brought forth to this great police department and Woonsocket,” she said.
The Mayor said she was also thankful to the chief’s wife, Nancy, for not wanting him to retire sooner and allowing his service to the city to continue “because it was truly and honor to have him with us.”
Baldelli-Hunt said she also wanted to thank Carey for his commitment to the department and the community and his support of its residents. “I’m going to miss him, I’m going to miss his encouragement, I’m to miss his bright spirit that he would always bring into my office and the depth of his commitment that he brought to his department,” the Mayor said. “I hope he keeps believing in Woonsocket as he has over the years that he has been here. And, God Bless Chief Carey, Nancy, and your whole family and I wish you nothing but the best in your retirement years,” Baldelli-Hunt said.
Captain Michael Lemoine, who ran the awards ceremony and tribute to the chief on stage with the help of Det. Sergeant George McMann and Capt. Adam Remick, and with off-stage help from Det. Sgts. Kevin Greenough and Kevin Sanford, offered the gathering a recounting of Carey’s police career before concluding with his personal remarks.
“Chief, in 2008 you came to Woonsocket an unknown but you quickly assimilated and imbedded yourself in this police agency and this community,” Lemoine said. “Through your leadership and professionalism you restored credibility and legitimacy to the office of police chief at a time when it was lacking. Above all you always made decisions that were in the best interest of the department and for its officers without ever violating your ethical principals,” Lemoine said.
“I believe I can speak for all of us, the men and women of the Woonsocket Police Department, when I say that you are an inspirational leader, Lemoine said.” I know wherever your endeavors bring you, that community will be better because of you. On behalf of the men and woman of Woonsocket Police Department we thank you for your service and your friendship,” Lemoine said. He then called up a delegation of department members to present Carey with a plaque containing his badge and other mementos of his time with the Woonsocket Police Department.
Carey, who has always taken the opportunity to praise his department members when he took the podium at past award ceremonies, wasn’t going to miss that opportunity, even at his own testimonial.
He joked initially saying “I’ll keep it brief. See you later,” but then went into a detailed recounting of the department’s many accomplishments, both in fighting crime in the city and also building connections to community organizations that could help improve the quality of city life from the civilian side.
Carey said he was “so humbled by tonight,” and the large turnout of police department supporters and he said he was also touched by the comments, recognitions and awards from those participating in the evening.
But he also offered that most important of all to him was the fact so many people had come to honor the members of his department receiving awards at the ceremony.
“I just want to say congratulations to all the recipients. I think what is important to me is that the community hears what we do at the Police Department and you can see that we have some great men and women at the Police Department that do some amazing things,” Carey said. “We have a great, great police department.”
Carey also took a moment to thank his wife, Nancy, for her role in his successful career. “To my beautiful wife Nancy Carey, I just want to thank you for your support, your sacrifice, your patience, your advice and most importantly your love. You have made our lives together just an absolute dream,” the chief said.
Carey praised his department’s command staff including Captains Michael Lemoine, Adam Remick and Todd Boisvert for the help and support that made the department’s achievements possible. “It’s been much appreciated and I couldn’t do it without them,” he said. Carey continued with praise for his administrative staff, department rank and file and also the civilian employees who conduct the department’s daily work before turning to the community organizations, faith leaders and social service agencies that have been so crucial to his efforts to bring greater community outreach to the Police Department.
“When I was sworn in at Harris Hall 7½ years ago my commitment was to you and to working together with everybody just to move the department forward,” Carey said. “And as I kind of look back after 7½ years I did try to do my best to work together with everybody to build partnerships and I think the department has moved forward and continues to do so,” Carey said. “I think it just shows working together can really make a difference and ensure progress,” the Chief said.
During the ceremony, Carey was also presented with an award from the Woonsocket Rotary Club by its President Janice Contillo acknowledging his community service work and a gift from St. Ann Arts & Cultural Center acknowledging his help with its preservation and continuing role a community arts and event resource.