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.