Colonel Ann C. Assumpico was officially sworn in by Governor Gina M. Raimondo on Monday as the 13th Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police in a formal ceremony attended by hundreds of law enforcement officers, state and local officials and other well-wishers from throughout New England.
She has been serving as Superintendent of State Police and Director of the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety since Nov. 3, 2016, when she was appointed by Governor Raimondo to replace outgoing Colonel Steven O’Donnell, who retired from the post last fall.
“Colonel Assumpico has come up through the ranks, she has done late patrol, and she has emptied out many cans of Brasso keeping a gleam on her buckle,” Governor Raimondo said. “Colonel Assumpico loves the Rhode Island State Police, and she is uniquely qualified to carry on the agency’s proud tradition, and to lead it into the future.”
A life-long Rhode Island resident, Colonel Assumpico is the first woman chosen to lead the Rhode Island State Police or any other law enforcement agency in Rhode Island.
“I appreciate the opportunity that Governor Raimondo has given me to continue my service and loyalty to the state of Rhode Island and its hard-working citizens,” Colonel Assumpico said. “This particular nomination sends a powerful message; a message that can be heard by the newest recruit to our most seasoned trooper: that with dedication and determination anyone can aspire to leads this agency regardless of who you are or where you come from or what you look like.”
Senator Jack Reed, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman James Langevin and Congressman David Cicilline were among the many federal, state and local officials who attended today’s swearing-in ceremony at the Rhode Island Convention Center. There also were scores of law enforcement officers from throughout New England, including top representatives from the Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont state police, as well as Colonel Assumpico’s family members, friends and supporters.
The ceremony was steeped in tradition and pageantry, featuring featured the Rhode Island State Police honor guard, as well as an all-women honor guard comprised of female law enforcement officers from throughout New England. The Rhode Island Highlanders, a pipe band of which Colonel Assumpico is a member, also performed.
Several people also spoke on her behalf, including retired Rhode Island State Police Colonel Edmond S. Culhane, Jr., who was Superintendent when Colonel Assumpico became a trooper in 1992. He noted that she had worked at the Adult Correctional Institutions for eight years and the Coventry Police Department for seven years before joining the Rhode Island State Police.
“Her bio reads like a recruiting pamphlet for Special Forces, Navy Seals and corporate management,” he said. “If it says anything, it says, ‘Ready, willing, able, and prepared.’ ”
Colonel Culhane noted that the Rhode Island State Police is “in good hands” with Colonel Assumpico at the helm, saying she’s well-prepared for the challenges ahead. He also reminded her: “It is your mandate and your responsibility to see that the Rhode Island State Police never, ever lets the citizens of the great State of Rhode Island down.”
