PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — The Providence Police Department recognized 54 officers Wednesday night during its annual commendation awards ceremony at the Bishop McVinney Auditorium.
The event honored officers for their work across categories including Life Saving, Community Service, Unit Citations, the Chief’s Award, the Fraternal Order of Police, Mayor’s Award, and the Rhea Archambault Awards.
Among the cases highlighted:
- Officers Christopher Castagliuolo and Irvin Torres were honored for tracking down a suspect in Providence accused of kidnapping and assaulting an 80-year-old Coventry woman in 2024. The man was sentenced this week to 45 years in prison.
- Detectives from the Violent Crime Task Force, Intelligence Unit, and other divisions were recognized for their around-the-clock work after the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Ny’eil Pires in August 2024. Within two weeks, investigators arrested two suspects and seized two firearms used in the crime.
The awards also highlighted the department’s narcotics work in 2024, which led to 460 arrests, 218 search warrants, 31 guns seized and 38 kilograms of fentanyl removed from city streets…