Oscar Perez Named Providence's Next Police Chief

PROVIDENCE, RI — Commander Oscar Perez will serve as Providence's next police chief, Mayor Brett Smiley said Friday.

Perez will be the first-ever Latin American to serve as the head of the Providence Police Department.

"Throughout his nearly 30-year tenure and certainly in this interview process, Chief Perez has demonstrated he is the dedicated public servant that can foster strong relationships within the community and is lasered focus on the quality-of-life issues our residents identified as top priorities for the next chief," Smiley said. "I am excited for the work we will do together to make Providence safer for our residents, businesses and visitors."

Perez has been a member of the Providence Police Department for 29 years, beginning as a patrol officer and most recently serving as deputy chief. As deputy chief, he oversaw daily operations and administration of all police services and functions of the department.

Perez was also a district commander for South Providence and developed the Providence police's Community Relations Bureau, implemented a department-wide community policing bureau policy and spearheaded several police-community relations initiatives.

"Serving as chief of police for the city that welcomed me so many years ago and that has become my home is the honor of a lifetime," Perez said. "I am excited to give back to my community, to work with my colleagues in uniform to provide them with the proper training and resources, supporting our officers’ health and wellness, and to get to work on the big issues — decreasing gun violence, preventing crimes, supporting our youth and improving the quality-of-life in our city."

Smiley said Perez is a proud immigrant from Medellin, Colombia, who came to Providence at age 13. He attended and graduated from Providence Public Schools.

Perez replaces former Chief Hugh Clements, who left will serve in the U.S. Justice Department as the new director of the Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS).