UPDATED: Providence Police Chief Candidate’s Record Comes Unraveled
GoLocalProv News Team
UPDATED: Providence Police Chief Candidate’s Record Comes Unraveled
The resume and statements of a candidate for Providence’s next Police Chief are now coming under scrutiny.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTProvidence Mayor Brett Smiley pledged an open and transparent "public" process to select the next head of Providence police to succeed Chief Hugh Clements
On Wednesday, Providence Police Chief candidate Major Kevin Lanni said at a public forum that he is a “lifelong resident” of Providence.
But that is not true.
Tax records show he lived and registered his and his then-wife’s vehicles in multiple communities in Rhode Island over nearly a decade.
“I’m a lifelong resident of Providence,” said Lanni on Wednesday at the forum. “My father inspired me to be a police officer…he always told me to stay in the city and live in the city, so I decided to.”
In addition, tax records show that Lanni paid taxes on a property in Lincoln in 2021 with an assessed value of $398,200.
According to Smiley’s office, Lanni currently lives in Providence; the office pointed out that the two other candidates had lived in the city but do not currently do so.
But neither of the other two finalists, Commander Oscar Perez nor Major David Lapatin, claimed they were lifetime residents.
When asked about Lanni’s other tax records and residency outside of the city, Patricia Socarras, spokesperson for Smiley, responded with the following.
“Major Lanni was born and raised in Providence and lived in the Mount Pleasant and Elmhurst areas of the city and currently resides on the East Side,” wrote Socarras. She refused to respond to questions about the other communities he lived in and paid taxes.
As GoLocal reported last week, Lanni and Smiley had a private dinner together, which was not afforded to candidates Perez and Lapatin.
In the announcement of the candidates at the forum and in a biography provided to the media, Smiley touted Lanni as being a product of Providence public schools.
He is not.
On Wednesday, Smiley introduced his three finalists for chief as “products of Providence Public Schools.”
When asked by GoLocal Thursday about the bio and Smiley’s claim, Socarras confirmed Lanni did not, in fact, attend Providence public schools, as was claimed — and reported by multiple outlets in the press.
Lanni attended private Catholic schools St. Augustine and La Salle Academy, admitted Socarras, saying the "oversight" was the Smiley administration's.
“The candidates did review their bios for accuracy but years of service, place of residence and school service was added in after. It was inaccurately noted that Major Lanni attended Providence Public Schools rather than attended school in Providence,” said Socarras. “We will note that for press moving forward.”
Lanni, when reached on Thursday to respond to questions about the inconsistencies, said he “could not talk” and refused comment.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated at 7:00 AM 2/10/2023