Deputy Superintendent of RI State Police Lt. Col. Barry Is Retiring

Deputy Superintendent of RI State Police Lt. Col. Barry Is Retiring

The number two man in the Rhode Island State Police, Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Barry, a twenty-six-year veteran, is retiring. Barry confirmed his departure to GoLocal.

He leaves the agency as the Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Field Operations.

He has served in the command staff under the last three superintendents and has often been mentioned over the past decade for the top spot.

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"Barry has been an excellent Deputy Superintendent and his shoes will be hard to fill. I’ve been very fortunate to have had someone with his expertise and commitment to public safety by my side for the past two years. His work has been critical to our ability to serve the state in the face of a number of unique challenges over the past year.  He has left his mark on our agency and I am grateful for his service,“ said James Manni, Superintendent of the State Police in a statement to GoLocal.

 Major Darnell S. Weaver, a twenty-six-year veteran of the Rhode Island State Police, who served as the District "A" Commander takes over for Barry.

Weaver served at all the barracks as a member of the Uniform Bureau. His previous assignments include Night Executive Officer and Assistant Patrol Commander of both the Hope Valley and Wickford Barracks. He was also a member of the Honor Guard Unit and served as a Field Training Officer. Most recently he served as the Officer-in-Charge of the State Police Training Academy and Commandant of the 2016 Rhode Island State Police Training Academy Class.

Prior to joining the Rhode Island State Police, Weaver served in the United States Marine Corps.

Weaver's appointment is effective on June 20.

Barry's Record

Most recently, Barry served as second in command of the Rhode Island State Police and was responsible for the Patrol Bureau, the Detective Bureau, and the division’s specialty units. The Patrol Division includes the District “A” and District “B” Patrols, as well as the Emergency Response Units and Service Units and the Governor’s Executive Security Detail, as well as Major Crimes, Cyber Crimes/Fusion Center/JCTF, and specialized investigative units.

Upon becoming a Trooper in 1994 he was assigned to the Uniform Bureau, where he served at all the barracks. He was transferred to the Detective Bureau in 2000, where he served ten years in the Narcotics / High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA), Intelligence Unit, and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).

He was promoted to the rank of Corporal in 2011, Sergeant in 2012, Lieutenant in 2012, Captain in 2013, and Lieutenant Colonel in 2015. He was also the acting Chief of Police / Colonel of the Cranston Police Department from January 2014 to October 2014 during the parking ticket controversy in that city.

Other assignments include State Police Training Academy Instructor, Prosecution Officer, Night Executive Officer, Commandant of the 2013 State Police Training Academy, Division “A” Commander, and Executive Officer of the Department of Public Safety and Commanding Officer of the Department of Public Safety.

A former Patrol/Narcotics Canine Handler and an Elected Officer in the Rhode Island Troopers’ Association for over a decade, Lieutenant Colonel Barry is a graduate of the 239th Session of the FBI National Academy, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from Worcester State University. He also served in the United States Marine Corps.

UPDATED: 12:24PM