Photo Credit: Kenneth C. Zirkel |This work is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The City of Newport is beginning a formal search process to replace outgoing Police Chief Gary T. Silva, who announced his retirement after 40 years with the department earlier this month.

The City of Newport today announced in a press release that Captain Ryan Duffy, a 22-year veteran of the Newport Police Department, will serve as interim Police Chief while a search is underway.

As the first police department in the State of Rhode Island to implement the philosophy of Community Policing, problem-solving and working with the community has been a staple approach for the members of the Newport Police Department. In keeping with that mission, following an initial screening process, finalists will be asked to attend a community forum in order to provide the public with a chance to ask questions, and interact directly with the candidates. 

Applications for the Chief’s position are currently being accepted on an internal basis, and more details regarding the search process are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Chief Silva’s last day with the Department is Friday, February 24th.

more on this topic

Newport Police Chief Gary Silva will retire on Feb. 24

After 40 years of service to the community, including the last 12 years as Newport’s top cop, Police Chief Gary T. Silva is set to retire on Feb. 24th, according to a press release from the City of Newport. Silva was first sworn in as a Police Officer in June of 1983, rising through the…

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...