Captain Kurt J. Hawes has served the East Providence Police Department for 15 years. He joined the force as a Patrol Officer in December 2011, and after training and evaluating new officers as a Field Training Officer in 2013, he moved into investigative work as a Detective Corporal in 2017, specializing in major crimes and juvenile cases.
Captain Hawes was promoted to Sergeant in 2018, where he supervised patrol operations and was selected to serve in the Office of Professional Standards. In 2022, he was promoted to Lieutenant of the Services Division, where he directed the department’s technology and IT operations, administered the Axon platforms, and helped establish the department’s drone unit, earning his FAA Part 107 certification.
During this time, he also took on management of the department’s grant programs, implementing the department’s body-worn camera program and assisted in securing nearly $750,000 in total federal funds across multiple grant opportunities. Since May 2025, he has served as Detective Lieutenant, overseeing detective operations and complex criminal investigations, serves as the department’s Public Information Officer, and ran the department’s license to carry program.
Alongside his field achievements, Captain Hawes holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Westfield State College, and holds multiple department commendations.