When he came to the U.S. from Colombia shortly before turning 13, Oscar Perez had a lot to learn -- from a new language to getting used to snowy winters.

He's now the Providence police chief, rising to the top job after nearly 30 years on the force. He became a dad his first year on the job, and has worked in a variety of bureaus from narcotics to community policing, all while being promoted from patrolman all the way up to colonel.

He's fired his service weapon on duty on two occasions, including the deadly highway shooting on I-95 in 2017, when both Providence officers and State Police troopers fired at a suspect, who died. (The shooting was later deemed justified by a grand jury.)

Perez becomes chief at a time when recruitment is down, and conversations about policing are changing around the country.

In this episode of Pulse of Providence, Perez tells his personal story of growing up in South Providence, his experience on the force thus far and his plans for the department.

The 195 Redevelopment District Commission has a new leader, following the resignation of its former chairman last month. Marc Crisafulli was named chair of the commission by Gov. Dan McKee last week, replacing Robert Davis at the helm.

As the commission continues to try and sell off parcels of the land that used to be Interstate 195, Crisafulli says he wants to refocus on commercial and life sciences developments.

In this exclusive interview on Pulse of Providence, Crisafulli answers questions about affordable housing, parking requirements, and whether the Fane Tower is going to be built.

Mayor Jorge Elorza is leaving office after eight years, wrapping up two terms leading the capital city that have been marked by a pandemic, crisis in education and ongoing pension problem.

Perhaps nothing loomed larger over Elorza's second term than the state takeover of the Providence public school system.

Elorza contends he didn't lose control of the schools -- he gave them away. But now, extremely critical of the way the turnaround has gone, does the mayor regret anything?

In this episode of Pulse of Providence, hear what the outgoing mayor has to say about the city schools, his signature achievements and unfinished businesses as he prepares to hand the keys to City Hall over to Mayor-elect Brett Smiley in January.

City Councilor Rachel Miller says she's now up to 11 fellow Democrats supporting her candidacy for council president. It's more than enough to win the top job in January, as long as the coalition remains together. (Several Democratic nominees supporting Miller still face challengers in next week's election, but most are unopposed.)

In this episode of Pulse of Providence, Miller discusses her top priorities if elected council president, including housing affordability, public safety and city services.

She also answers questions about the Superman building development deal, the future of the Providence Place mall and more issues the council could tackle in its next term.

There’s just about a month left until the first votes are cast in the race for Providence mayor, and former deputy secretary of state Gonzalo Cuervo is up against Nirva LaFortune and Brett Smiley for the open seat.

Pulse of Providence interviewed all three mayoral candidates in the past week, the second appearance for each of the the Democrats on the program.

With the August campaign rush ahead, can Cuervo and LaFortune catch up to the financial leader that is Brett Smiley? Where do the candidates stand on the plan to create a partly elected school board, or the new license plate cameras going up in Providence? Will they pull the trigger to borrow $515 million for pension system? And why hasn’t Mayor Elorza endorsed anyone yet?

The only thing we do know is that the winner will be determined on Sept. 13; there are no Republicans or independents who qualified for the November ballot.

Listen to the interview with Gonzalo Cuervo above. And stay tuned this week for more mayoral candidate interviews.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — It’s been nine months since Mayor Jorge Elorza’s decision to appoint his recreation director to a new high-level police major job sparked backlash, leading to a political controversy and monthslong stalemate between Elorza and the City Council.

The dispute was finally solved this spring, and Michael Stephens is now in a reworked civilian role at the Police Department, making $137,000 a year as the administrator of community relations and diversion services.

In the above episode of Pulse of Providence, Stephens sits down for an exclusive interview about the controversy and the work he hopes to do to improve relationships between the community and the police in Providence.

Also joining Stephens for the interview is Major Kevin Lanni, leader of the newly created community operation and engagement bureau.

Watch the full episode: https://www.wpri.com/news/pulse-of-providence/pulse-of-providence-police-administrator-michael-stephens-and-maj-kevin-lanni/