Quinsigamond Community College’s new police chief is sworn-in

WORCESTER, MA— February 2, 2024 — Quinsigamond Community College held a ceremony on Friday morning February 2, to swear in its new Police Chief, Stephen D. DiGiovanni.

“Steve’s exemplary education, knowledge and police work make him the perfect person to fill some big shoes and ensure the continued safety of our students, faculty and staff,” said QCC President Dr. Luis Pedraja.

DiGiovanni has worked at QCC since 2008, becoming the college’s first full-time detective in 2014 and Deputy Chief of Police Operations in 2015, where he oversees the Uniform Patrol Division, Communication Division (Dispatch) and QCC’s Security Department. DiGiovanni is also a certified instructor for the Municipal Police Training Committee and has completed an extensive three-part training at the FBI-LEEDA (Law Enforcement Executive Development Association) Command Leadership Institute.  

“Becoming a police officer is a choice in life to help those who are in need. I’m more than lucky to take over a department that is professional, accredited, knowledgeable and community oriented…traits I highly value,” DiGiovanni said.

The ceremony also recognized its outgoing Police Chief Kevin Ritacco, who has been the chief of the college for 18 years and part of the college’s Campus Police for close to 43 years.

President Pedraja detailed Ritacco’s achievements over the years, such as his leadership in the arduous process to become the first community college in the state to be accredited, which was completed in 2019 through the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

“Quinsigamond has been the best for me and my family. I always tried to quietly do this job and not get in the way of the students. I’ve learned a lot as a person and I’m so proud of my officers, especially Steve (DiGiovanni),” Ritacco said.

Ritacco started at QCC in 1981, becoming chief in 2005. He also implemented QCC’s police academy in 2018. The academy started as a part-time reserve academy and developed into a full-time police recruit officer course in an extended format, making it the first of its kind run by a community college.

COO/CFO and Vice President of Administrative Services Stephen Marini reflected on the growth of both Ritacco and the campus police department over the years.

“Today the men and women of the QCC police department are the most highly trained, committed, operationally effective in the history of QCC. This legacy will undoubtedly serve the college well in the future,” Marini said.