Providence Police Major Perez Appointed to Rank of Deputy Chief, Captain O’Hara to Major
GoLocalProv News Team
Providence Police Major Perez Appointed to Rank of Deputy Chief, Captain O’Hara to Major
Within his new role, Deputy Chief Perez is designated as Commander of the department and will oversee the rank and file and daily operations of the Providence Police Department. Both appointments follow the retirement of Deputy Chief Thomas A. Verdi, who retired from the department last week after more than 35 years of service to the city.
“Commander Perez and Major O’Hara have displayed the utmost professionalism throughout their careers and are proven leaders throughout the department as well as the community. Rising to these distinguished ranks within the Providence Police Command Staff is a result of their years of law enforcement experience working in the various areas of the department, both having extensive backgrounds in community policing,” said Clements. “I congratulate them on their promotions and I am confident that they will continue to be motivated and enthusiastic leaders moving forward.”
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About Perez and O'Hara
Deputy Chief Perez, a Central High School graduate, was sworn into the Providence Police Department on May 13, 1994 and has served in various capacities throughout the department. He was promoted to Detective in 2001 and assigned to the Youth Services Bureau. In 2005 he was promoted to Sergeant and worked within the Patrol Bureau until his promotion to Lieutenant in 2010. In his role as District Commander, Oscar was responsible for overseeing Districts 2 and 3, covering the Upper and Lower South Providence, Washington Park, Elmwood and Reservoir Triangle neighborhoods.
He has also worked in the Intelligence Bureau, Gang Intervention Unit, Neighborhood Response Team, Community Police Bureau and the Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau. During his career, Oscar has been the recipient of numerous awards and commendations including the Mayor’s Award, FBI Award, Chief’s Award and F.O.P. Award. Oscar attained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Roger Williams University and a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University. He is also the graduate of the 281st session of the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA, Leadership Rhode Island Lambda II Class, Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) at Boston University and the Harvard Kennedy School Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
Major Perez currently serves on the RI Commission for Prejudice and Bias, RI State Parole Board, Rhode Island Justice Assistance, RIC Inclusive Excellence Commission and the Board for the Nonviolence Institute (NVI). Major Perez has also served as an adjunct professor in the Administration of Justice Department at both Roger Williams University and Salve Regina University.
O’Hara was sworn into the Providence Police Department on August 25, 1995. Major O’Hara is a highly decorated officer who has served in various supervisory positions throughout his career, including Commanding Officer of the Mounted Command and the Violent Crime Task Force. Additionally, Major O’Hara has worked within the Robbery Task Force and the Gang Unit. In 2000, he was promoted to the rank of Detective and promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2005. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2010 and worked in several roles within the Patrol Bureau including Shift Commander and Commanding Officer of District 1, overseeing the Downtown area.
In 2015 he was transferred to the Investigative Division and promoted to the rank of Captain in 2017, where he currently serves as the Commanding Officer of the Detective Bureau. Major O’Hara is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations, including the Archambault Award in 1997 for Police Officer of the Year, the Archambault Award in 1996 and 2001, City Council Award, F.O.P. Award and the Outside Agency Award. He attained a Bachelor of Science Degree from Rhode Island College and attended the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) at Boston University in 2018. To date, he has worked on and supervised 95 homicide investigations.
A formal swearing in and promotional ceremony for Deputy Chief Perez and Major O’Hara is scheduled for Monday, November 28, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the Providence Public Safety Complex.