By WPRO News

Following the recent retirement of longtime Warwick Police Chief Stephen McCarthy, Mayor Joseph Solomon has appointed Major Rick Rathbun as the new head of the department.

“During Colonel McCartney’s 20-year tenure, he built a department now filled with tremendously talented, dedicated and experienced officers and a command staff that has shown great integrity and professionalism,” Mayor Solomon said in a statement. “Chief Rathbun has consistently demonstrated those qualities, along with tremendous leadership abilities and his commitment to protecting and serving our community well. Chief Rathbun and Deputy Chief Brad Connor are both dedicated and have longtime experience in law enforcement. I am confident that, as they work cooperatively together on behalf of our community, we will have the best police command staff in the state.”

Rathbun has been with the Warwick Police for nearly 24 years and served as the city’s Emergency Management Director.

Prior to joining the Warwick Police, Rathbun spent 4 years in the Air Force in a military law enforcement position. He has received training in a variety of areas, including but not limited to firearms and bomb threat investigations, gang recognition, drug impairment, anti-terrorism, crisis negotiations, incident command, forensics, communications, sexual harassment prevent and threat and risk assessment.

“I am grateful to Mayor Solomon for the opportunity to lead the Warwick Police Department as its next Chief of Police,” Rathbun said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the dedicated members of the department and community stakeholders in continued service to the City of Warwick.”