Dear Mr. President,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to recommend the re-appointment of Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., former Chief of the Providence, Rhode Island Police Department, to serve once again as Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). He was the most dynamic and effective COPS Director since the office was established and enjoys wide support from the entirety of the law enforcement community.
The Fraternal Order of Police was very familiar with Hugh even before he arrived to lead the COPS Office. He was a long-time member of the FOP’s National Board of Trustees and served on the FOP-Rhode Island Future Planning Task Force Committee in 2012. He is a decorated officer and is a nationally recognized expert and speaker on law enforcement trends. He has been a Visiting Fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs since June 2018.
In addition to his time as COPS Director, he has extensive experience in virtually every aspect of policing and law enforcement. Hugh started his career in 1985 with the Providence Police Department as a patrol officer and served his community as a member of the Neighborhood Response Team Uniformed Task Force until 1990. In 1992, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, and in 1995, he was attached to the Detective Bureau, Investigative Division. Hugh was promoted to Lieutenant in 2002 and, over the course of the next few years, was assigned to the Patrol Bureau, Uniformed Division, assigned as Commander of District 5, and returned to the Detective Bureau. In 2011, the then-Major Clement was appointed as Acting Police Chief. In 2012, he was appointed the Chief of Police for the Providence Police Department.
Hugh demonstrated inspired leadership as chief and, in 2021, GoLocal Providence News named him Man of the Year, writing:
He met with neighborhood groups and residents, listening — and responding. At a time when there is much criticism of policing, Clements listened and treated critics with respect.
In 2021, the Chief was everywhere — a boundless ball of energy that provided a sense of hope, decency, and normalcy to a city that needed leadership.
I think these words speak volumes about Hugh’s leadership, integrity, and commitment to effective policing. We saw this same effect during his time as Director of the COPS Office—building and strengthening trust and confidence in our law enforcement agencies as well as serving as an effective steward of its programs.
Hugh Clements is the kind of law enforcement leader we want in the COPS Office. The work of the COPS Office is vital to State and local law enforcement agencies and, by extension, to the safety of our communities. The COPS Office is the cornerstone of our national policing strategy—community-oriented policing, and no one embodies that better than Hugh. The hiring program, its work on collaborative reform, and efforts to improve officer safety and wellness are critical, and there is no better choice than Hugh to lead this office. He was, and will be again, a tremendous asset to law enforcement nationwide.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, thank you for considering our recommendation that Hugh T. Clements, Jr. be named as the next Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. If I can provide any more information in support of Hugh, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President