Nuestras Historias

News & Updates from Nuestras Raíces @RILA

First Latino Police Officer

June | 2015

Ricardo Caycedo mug

Earlier this year, we received an interesting E-Mail:


"My name is Scott Caycedo. I am originally from Warwick Rhode Island. I was reading the name of someone who claims to be the first Hispanic police officer in Rhode Island. However, that is not true.

I believe that my father Richard Caycedo was actually the first Hispanic police officer. He was a member of the Warwick police Department from 1962-1988.

My father was the first in his family to be born in the United States. His family is originally from Bogota Colombia. My dad was born on July 2,1933 in the Bronx, New York . He moved to Providence, Rhode Island when he was three. There he grew up and attended the Assumption Catholic School and then graduated from Central High School in 1952. He has since passed on.

As a small child growing up in the 70's, I vividly remember him being he called in the middle of the night to go to Providence to help translate for Hispanic people that were being arraigned in court. He would go over their rights so they knew what they are being charged for."

Nuestras Raíces contacted the Warwick Police Department to inquire about Officer Caycedo, and received the following response, along with the photo that you see above:

"Richard P. Caycedo was sworn in as a probationary patrolman on August 31, 1963. He was placed on the pension rolls (disability pension) on November 6, 1988.
Attached is a picture when he first came on the department."

Nuestras Raices cup logo w heart


➤ Click here to return to the main blog page

When using materials from this website, please acknowledge by stating the name of the URL of the webpage on which it is displayed. Citations should include full bibliographic information as follows: Courtesy of the Latino Oral History Project of Rhode Island, Central Falls, RI.

© All Rights Reserved | Nuestras Raíces: Latino History of RI



© All Rights Reserved | Nuestras Raíces: Latino History of RI © | When using materials from this website, please acknowledge by stating the name of the URL of the webpage on which it is displayed. Citations should include full bibliographic information as follows: Courtesy of the Latino Oral History Project of Rhode Island, Central Falls, RI.