Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr. is Chief of Police at the Providence Police Department and a Fellow at The Policy Lab.
Chief Clements was first appointed to the Providence Police Department on May 5, 1985 as a night Patrol Officer in the Uniform Division. He was promoted to Detective in 1990, Sergeant in 1992, Lieutenant in 2002, and Captain in 2005. In 2008, when promoted to Major, he was assigned for one year as the Commander of the Homeland Security Division, before being reassigned as the Commanding Officer of the Uniform Division. He later served as Deputy Chief and was appointed as Acting Chief of Police in July 2011, and on January 6, 2012, he was appointed as the 37th Chief of the Department and promoted to the rank of Colonel.
Chief Clements holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Rhode Island, a BS in the administration of justice from Roger Williams University, and a Master of Science Degree in criminal justice from Boston University. He is the recipient of numerous Chief’s Awards for his police work as well as Letters of Commendation from the FBI, the Attorney General’s Office, and other police departments.
