Cranston Police Department Retirees Association
The organization for retired members of the Cranston, RI Police Department
Robert A. Callison, Badge 358
Detective Robert Allen Callison, Jr., 45, of Fort Myers, Florida, passed away Tuesday, May 26, 2015. He was born May 29, 1969 to Robert Allen Callison, Sr., and Charlotte Lagasse Callison. Bob joined the Cranston police department in 1996, and was later promoted to the rank of Detective. Prior to joining the police department, Detective Callison had served in the United States Marine Corps.
Rest in peace our brother.
Officer Wayne S. Russell, Jr. – Cranston Police
Officer Wayne S. Russell, Jr.
Officer Wayne S. Russell, Jr., (Badge 495), passed away unexpectedly on May 26, 2023, at the age of 43. During his twelve year career with the Cranston Police he earned several commendations for great policework. He’s buried at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence.
Rest in peace our brother.
Det. John F. Montanaro Badge 164
Retired Cranston Police Detective John F. Montanaro passed away on January 5, 2023 at the age of 76. He served the good citizens of Cranston for 28 years before his retirement. During his long career, John worked in the patrol division, and later served as a plain clothes officer in the department’s anti-crime unit. He also served as a detective in the elite Combined Operations & Response Team, (CORT Unit), which worked closely with the department’s Narcotics & Vice Unit.
John was the beloved husband of 35 years to Paula (Ricci) Montanaro. Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Joseph and Tina (Rotondo) Montanaro.
Besides his wife John is survived by his loving children: Kristina Regine of Warwick, and John F. Montanaro Jr. and his wife Deborah of North Kingstown; his dear sister: Sandra Riddle, and her husband Donald of Cranston. He was also the cherished grandfather of 5 , great-grandfather of 3, and brother-in-law of Michele Ricci and her late husband Carl Izzo of Cranston.
Burial took place in St. Ann’s Cemetery.
Rest in peace our brother.
Ptl. John Bell
Badge 185
John Bell, (on left), Tom Mooney, (on right) at the department’s armory – circa 1995
Retired officer John Bell passed away on November 6, 2022. John was appointed to the Cranston Police Department on July 17, 1972. During his career he severed in the patrol division and motorcycle unit. He was also one of the department armorers, a firearms instructor, and range officer.
In the 1990s he transferred to the traffic division after which he completed six weeks of intensive training to become one of the department’s first “accident reconstructionists”. John used his knowledge and skill to investigate fatal injury and serious injury accidents to mathematically and forensically “reconstruct” what happened. Today’s CPD traffic officers are routinely sent to Accident Reconstruction School, but such was not the case in the 1990s.
John Retired on February 27, 1998, after serving the citizens of Cranston for more than 25 years.
Rest in peace our brother.
Patrolman Thomas Murphy
Photo Unavailable.
Patrolman Murphy began his career as a “Special Patrolman” sometime around 1920. On October 1, 1924, an article appeared in the now defunct “Cranston News”, which stated he had been appointed to the “regular force” by Chief James E. Cuff.
“Murphy is an excellent man to add to the force.” the newspaper said. “Soon after he had been appointed a special policeman”, the article went on, “Murphy was standing on Cranston Street one day when he noted that a woman in boarding a trolley car had dropped her pocketbook. He tried to attract her attention to tell of her loss, but the trolley started toward Providence, leaving him standing in the middle of the road with a pocketbook in his hand. Not to be outdone, however, he haled an auto going in the opposite direction, had it turn around, speed after the trolley, blew his whistle, stopped the car, and very politely handed the woman her pocketbook before se realized she had lost it”
Nothing further is known of Patrolman Murphy at this time.