Col. Hugh T. Clements, Jr. '20

Chief of Police
Providence Police Department

AWARD PROFILE

Courageous Thinking and Action
Throughout his 35 years with the Providence Police Department, he has risen through the ranks, serving in many different capacities and several bureaus within the department. Clements was sworn in as a Providence Police Officer in 1985 as a night patrol officer in the Uniform Division of the Providence Police Department. In 2004, he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned as District Commander of District 5 for the communities of Olneyville, Hartford, and Silver Lake. There he and his officers immersed themselves in the community and worked with residents to improve the quality of life for community members. He then served as Deputy Chief and was appointed acting Chief in July of 2011 and then was appointed the 37th Chief of Police in January of 2012 and promoted to the rank of Colonel.

Vision & Innovation
Policing in the 21st century requires transparency and the need for change. For the last two Providence Police academies, Clements has worked to increase not only the number of cadets but also more diversity and transparency, both focused on creating an updated academy curriculum reflective of 21st century policing. From 2016-2020 the recruits grew to 44.1% African American, 54% Hispanic, and 38% women. Recruits received training in crisis response, implicit bias and LGBTQ inclusiveness, amongst other trainings to help police learn how to best respond to calls involving members of vulnerable populations such as the homeless and individuals suffering from mental illness and victims of domestic violence. In 2016, the Providence Police Department had their first ever citizens academy followed by the first ever faith-based academy in 2017, where members of the faith-based community were taught best practices and procedures, history, and an in depth look into the PPDs community policing efforts to bridge the gap between police and the community they serve.

Inspiring Leadership
In 2014, under the Colonel’s leadership the Providence Police Department achieved a milestone by becoming nationally accredited through the Commission Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and state accredited through the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission (RIPAC). This was the first time in the history of the Providence Police that they were accredited, which was not an easy task. It took several years of hard choices, leadership, and budgeting to make this happen. Moreover, the department has sustained accreditation and was recertified in 2017. Additionally, Colonel Clements was sworn in as President of the RI Police Chiefs Association in January 2016. He is the first Providence Police Chief to be President in 65 years.

Community Mindedness
Chief Clements is the recipient of numerous commendations for excellent police work and devotion to duty, including being recognized with the Chiefs Award 3 times. He has also received recognition from several outside agencies to include: The FBI, the Attorney General’s Office, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, as well as other police agencies. He has also been recognized with the top community justice award in Rhode Island, the prestigious Justice Assistance, Neil J. Houston, Jr. Award, for dedicated service and citizen contribution toward the criminal justice profession and the public interest. In July 2014, Colonel Clements was voted onto the Executive Board of the New England Association of Chiefs of Police. In 2018, he was awarded the Rhode Island Attorney General Criminal Justice Hall of Fame Award, and later in the year the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council Award for Distinguished Public Servant. More recently, Colonel Clements has received the Sister Ann Keefe 25th Anniversary Award endorsing peace within the community. 

JA Mission Moment
”Through contacts on the Junior Achievement Board of Directors, I was approached early on in my role to participate in JA Classroom. From the very first appearance into my JA elementary classroom, I found the immediate importance and value in the program. There is no greater reward to experience the excitement in the young boys and girls in learning more about our profession. The Junior Achievement programs have allowed the Providence Police Department valuable moments to engage with boys and girls in the classroom and young men and women at ‘Inspire’ to offer insight and experiences from officers who come from the same neighborhoods and schools participating in these programs. A law enforcement career offers tremendous opportunities for young men and women looking to give back and serve in their communities. From the inception of JA Inspire, I knew immediately this was a great platform to showcase the many rewarding options available in a law enforcement career. Interesting enough, the Inspire program has become just as rewarding to the participants as to the attending students. Both programs allow the students to ‘Dream into the Future’ as to who they want to be and how they can make this world a better place.”