City of Newport to swear in next police chief

NEWPORT, R.I. (WLNE) — A 23-year veteran of the Newport Police Department will be sworn in as chief on Friday.

Ryan Duffy will take the place of former Chief Gary Silva, who retired earlier this year.

“This is an honor of a lifetime,” Duffy said. “Having spent my entire career as a police officer in the city of Newport, I am looking forward to continuing to work alongside the men and women of this department. I know that working together and with our community partners, we can make Newport an even better place to live, work, and visit.”

Duffy has been on the force since 2000. He climbed through the ranks, most recently earning the title of captain in 2021 and acting chief in February of this year.

He will be formally sworn in as chief at 2 p.m. at City Hall.