Issue No. 265  l   November 6, 2008   l   Providence, Rhode Island

 

Two Officers Promoted to Leadership Positions in the Providence Police Department
Promotion ceremony took place on Wednesday, November 5th at the Public Safety Complex


The family and friends of two Providence Police Officers looked on with pride as Mayor David N. Cicilline and Police Chief Colonel Dean Esserman yesterday administered the oath of office at a promotions ceremony in the 2nd Floor Atrium of the Public Safety Complex. 

“Together we celebrate these officers who have served their department and the people of Providence with great honor and distinction,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “They have earned these promotions through hard work and dedication.  Congratulations to them and to all of the men and women in this force who have helped to make this police department one of the best in America.”

Captain Steven Melaragno, appointed to the Providence Police Department in 1978, was promoted to the rank of Major for the Administrative Staff Division.  His wife, Patricia Melaragno, pinned his badge. Captain Hugh T. Clements, appointed to the Providence Police Department in 1985, was promoted to the rank of Major for the Homeland Security Division.  His daughters, Kayleigh and Kourtney, pinned his badge.

Police Officers Biographical Information

CAPTAIN HUGH T. CLEMENTS - PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF MAJOR HOMELAND SECURITY

Hugh T. Clements was appointed to the Providence Police Department on May 5, 1985, as a night Patrol Officer in the Patrol Bureau, Uniform Division.  He served on the Neighborhood Response Team until February 11, 1990, when he was transferred to the Special Investigations Bureau.  On December 18, 1990, he was promoted to the rank of Detective and transferred to the Detective Bureau, Investigative Division.  On February 24, 1992, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and transferred to the Patrol Bureau, Uniform Division.  On March 19, 1995 he was transferred to the Detective Bureau, Investigative Division.  On July 30, 2002, Hugh was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and transferred to the Patrol Bureau, Uniform Division.  In May 2003, Lieutenant Clements was assigned as District Commander of District 5.  In January 2005, he was assigned to the Detective Bureau, Investigative Division.  In December 2005, he was promoted to the rank of Captain assigned to the Detective Bureau, Investigative Division and presently remains in that capacity.

Captain Clements graduated from Coventry High School in 1975.  He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of Rhode Island in 1981.  He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in the Administration of Justice from Roger Williams College which he received in 1988.  He holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University. 

He attended many specialty schools throughout his career such as:  The NYSP Henry Williams Homicide School, The Illinois State Police Supervisor’s School, ATF National Gang School, and in 2005 he graduated the Leadership Rhode Island Alpha II Class, and the Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston University.

Captain Clements is the recipient of numerous commendations for excellent police work and devotion to duty.  In 1991, he received the Chiefs Award for his investigation of a double shotgun murder on Plainfield Street.  In 1992 he received another Chief’s Award for an undercover investigation and arrest of a convicted felon charged with the illegal sale of firearms.  He is also the recipient of numerous Letters of Commendation from outside agencies:  The FBI, the Attorney General’s Office, as well as other police departments.  He also has received numerous awards for his participation in a Latin King Investigation. 

Most recently he received the Chief’s Award for his extensive investigation into an organized crime weapons trafficking ring, which led to the seizure of guns and the arrest and conviction of an armed career criminal.

Captain Clements and his wife Donna, have two daughters:  Kayleigh, age 17, and Kourtney, age 10.

CAPTAIN STEVEN M. MELARAGNO - PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF MAJOR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF DIVISION

Captain Steven M. Melaragno was appointed to the Providence Police Department on August 20, 1978.  He was promoted to Detective in 1987, to Sergeant in 1989, to Lieutenant in 2001, and to Captain in 2004.

During his 30 years on the department, Captain Melaragno has served in many capacities including the Patrol Bureau, Traffic Bureau, The Neighborhood Response Team, and the Rapid Deployment Force.  As Sergeant in charge of the Weapons Bureau, Captain Melaragno led the bureau from the era of six shot revolvers to semi-automatic pistols and over saw the building of a new state of the art training facility that included moving targets and lighting for training at night.  He was also instrumental in having legislation passed that mandated better training for Police Officers.

As an F.B.I. certified Bomb Technician, Captain Melaragno helped the department establish the first recognized Bomb Squad in the City of Providence and served as its Commander until 2001.

He was one of nine newly appointed District Commanders deployed to refocus policing efforts at the neighborhood level. Captain Melaragno established the first community substation in South Providence.  In this capacity, he worked alongside community and business leaders as well as residents to improve the quality of life in South Providence.

A graduate of Roger Williams University with a Batchelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice.  Captain Melaragno is the recipient of the U.S. Attorney Larry Gaynor Award for Community Service.

Captain Melaragno has served as a volunteer board member, of the Community Mediation Center of Rhode Island since 2003, an organization  focused on non-violent conflict resolution .

Captain Melaragno is the son of Joan and the late Pasquale Melaragno, a former Providence Police Sergeant.  Captain Melaragno is also joined on the force by his brother, Robert, A Detective in the Robbery Squad.  He is married to Patti and they are the proud parents of Heather and Aaron. 
 

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Mayor Cicilline Launches 6th Annual Coat Drive
Clean, warm clothing, boots & blankets urgently needed; collection bins in public buildings beginning November 3rd

 

 

Mayor David N. Cicilline called upon all city workers, residents and businesses to take part in the Mayor’s Annual Coat Drive, to help Rhode Islanders in need.   

“Our community shows its greatness in times of crisis,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “This year will be a particularly difficult time for our families and homeless.  Now, as we face the bitter cold winter months, we need to look out for our neighbors.”

People are asked to donate new or gently used and clean winter clothing, in marked collection bins in city buildings.  The garments collected will be given to Crossroads Rhode Island and the Homeless People's Action Committee, for distribution to those whom they serve.

The Mayor said the organizations expressed a particularly urgent need for new or clean, gently used (oversized) winter coats, hats, gloves/ mittens, boots, heavy socks and blankets for adults and children.  There is also a critical need for personal care items such as shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes, shaving goods and feminine hygiene products.  As of November 3, the items may be dropped in the marked bins at the following City buildings:  Department of Public Works, Department of Planning & Development, City Hall, Building Inspector’s office, Public Safety Complex and the Providence School Department.   Collections will continue to take place throughout the winter months.

Mayor Cicilline initiated the annual coat drive in January 2003, in response to a cold snap that left many low-income and homeless families and individuals in distress.  For more information, contact 401.351.4300 extension 627.

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Feature: My City

Gain Knowledge, Gain Jobs

In the face of challenging economic times, there are those in Providence who want to reshape the way we think of economic development – one based on a philosophy that knowledge itself is a tool and a commodity that creates jobs.  Under a committee called the Providence-RI Knowledge Economy Initiative, groups like the Providence Chamber of Commerce headed by director Laurie White, are seeking to capitalize on the new industries that are populating the city and state’s workforce.  As White points out, industries like health care, technology, and design are at the core of Providence’s Knowledge Based Economy, because within each of them lies the greatest potential to carry out what she calls ‘the next big idea,’ and where innovation and invention can marry with opportunity and growth. 

City News caught up with the head of the Chamber of Commerce to find out more about the initiative that aims to spell out how Providence can thrive off the fresh new ideas that the next generation of knowledge workers could bring to the table. 

What is the knowledge economy and how does it relate to Providence?
In broad terms, the knowledge economy really is the ‘next big idea’ that the world is going to want to cash in on, buy products around, and mobilize consumers.  We want Providence to be a place that will test new thoughts and ideas and drive the next generation of products and inventions.  So the question is how do we, in Providence, do this so that it create jobs and a thriving economy.

The knowledge economy initiative in Providence is a set of ideas and strategy that we as a community – the Mayor’s Office, the business community, the colleges, universities, and hospitals – can all get around to create jobs for all Rhode Islanders, at all skill levels.  We’re not simply talking about jobs for teenagers or physicians or high-end scientists.  We’re talking about jobs throughout the entire spectrum. 

What we’ve done through the Mayor’s leadership is taken a very close look at what we have here in Providence, in Rhode Island, that’s really unique and that we can build an economy around, one in which people will want to participate in and identify those industries that are going to be creating jobs down the road.  We as a community, and as group, are trying to figure out what are the industries that are going to be big, that are going to be thriving, that are going to generate hot jobs in cool areas, so that we can be on the cutting edge. 

We’ve identified a few of them:
· Environmental and Alternative Energy Technologies – the whole green movement has great potential for both Providence and RI because we are the ocean state and we have so many great resources.  The green construction industry harvests tremendous potential here with the push of green building materials, LEED certification, energy efficient structures – is an area that I think has a great potential for growth in our city and state.

· Healthcare is a huge industry in the city.  There are lots of jobs, all along the career ladder, for people that are perhaps looking for internships while they’re in high school, or moving into CNA positions, working as a lab assistant, or working in an assisted living facility.  There are literally thousands of these job opportunities that are for everybody.  We’re working on cultivating this and getting our hospitals fully engaged in this initiative. 

· Design – Rhode Island has a great legacy in design because of RISD and a lot of the other companies here, harkening back to our days as the jewelry capital of the world.  We have great design assets.  So we’re thinking about what do we do in design that makes it relevant in today’s world, is it the next Apple Ipod? Merging design and technology together to emerge the next generation of great ideas.  Our city and state is really strong in that.

· Facility and Spatial Design – how to become an international leader in designing restaurants, hospitality facilities, and working off the capacity of Johnson & Wales and their ability to really put us on the map in the hotel and hospitality industry.

These are all industries that are under the loose umbrella of the knowledge economy.   

Why do you see Providence as a place where the knowledge economy can thrive?
Providence has great people.  We have great talented people that live here.  We have great arts and culture.  We have great hospitals and health care institutions in this community that are really in the top echelon nationwide in terms of their research dollars that they’re able to pull in from the federal government, studying very important health issues like drug interaction, disease management, cancer, cardiac issues.  Rhode Island is extremely well regarded in the health care area and Providence is the epicenter for health care. 

Providence is also the epicenter for higher education – Johnson & Wales, Providence College, URI, RWU, RISD, RIC, Brown – are all here.  We have the greatest concentration per capita of students anywhere in the country.  As a result, we need to capitalize that knowledge base that resides here and determine how we can put it to best use so that we can grow the population base and grow the tax base.  Those are really the two things that any economy is built on.  It’s all about growth.  It’s also about keeping young people here that are going to our trade schools and colleges and graduating from our high schools. 

What is the current presence of these kinds of knowledge based industries in our city?
The whole green movement is big.  The environmental industry is very important.  Like I said, the green construction industry has great potential to grow here.  Life sciences and medical research are other examples, developing an industry that will produce medical and prosthetic devices, for example orthopedic devices that can assist Iraq War veterans who’ve lost limbs or other body parts as a result of serving their country, are developed here in Rhode Island.  The neurosciences also happen here in RI through Brown.  Companies that think about product safety and design, like Hasbro, who create lead-free toys, are here in our state.   Those are just a few examples.

Our steering committee and community partners, and the Mayor being our leader, all understand the potential for really rallying behind a strategy to create jobs and grow the tax base, and to do it in a way that is uniquely Providence.  We’re not going to be the next Houston or Seattle, nor do we want to be, we want to be distinctly Providence and build on our own assets that make us great.  Just as important, we will have to take this message out into the national and international marketplace to talk about all the great things, people, industries, and inventions that are happening here. 

What do you think has to be done to attract and sustain these resources in the future?
I’m very proud of the leadership that the Mayor and the city have provided and we need to keep working on the cost of doing business here.  A lot of times the cost of business, of living, of housing, of just being in a community, are things that influence and attract businesses and potential residents, especially young people or new graduates.  So we need to pay very close attention to that. 

One of my major goals is to find a way that young people can really stay in this community and afford to live here, but also that there are jobs that provide upward career paths.  For example, careers in information technology or digital media that gets them excited about having a career here that lasts a lifetime, where they can grow and find self-fulfillment.  Young people are really a central asset to any city and any community because they bring vibrancy and new energy.  Understanding the power that our youth brings and unleashing it is a good place to begin.

For more information on the Providence-RI Knowledge Economy Initiative, go to www.providenceriknowledgeeconomy.com or the GPCC website at www.provchamber.com.

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