U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on Friday evening joined a Providence Police patrolman for part of the officer’s neighborhood policing shift in South Providence.
“I’m grateful to the Providence Police Department for helping to inform my work in Washington by allowing me to ride along,” said Whitehouse. “I’ve done this before in other roles, and it’s still important to me to understand the connection local police have with the neighborhoods they serve. I have a longstanding respect for the work police officers do every day to keep families safe. As a former U.S. Attorney and attorney general, I’ve been out with some of Rhode Island’s finest police officers, and I believe they are among the best in the country.”
Whitehouse is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over legislation related to law enforcement. He has worked closely with Rhode Island’s law enforcement community to craft federal legislation to reform the criminal justice system, curb addiction, and boost cyber security. Whitehouse has also advocated to extend federal resources to state and local police.
“It is always an honor to have someone as highly respected as Senator Whitehouse ride along with the stellar officers of the Providence Police Department,” said Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh Clements. “We were able to provide the Senator with an experience that gave him a true sense of what police officers face as they serve the city and community during their tour of duty.”
