The backbone of any police department is the first responders. The South Kingstown Police Department has 44 officers assigned to patrol the towns 63 square miles. Our patrol shifts operate 24 hours a day and are broken into 3 - 8 hour shifts. Each shift has a Lieutenant, 2 Sergeants, and up to 10 Patrol Officers assigned to it. The patrol division responds to and assists the public at more than 42,000 calls per year.
Bicycle Patrol
Within our patrol division is our bicycle patrol; the bicycle patrol is staffed by 2 officers, and is used seasonally. The Bicycle Patrol focuses primarily on the villages of Peace Dale, Wakefield and all south shore beach areas. However, it is also used in neighborhood sub-divisions for crime prevention purposes, patrols the William C. O'Neill Bike Path and the properties of the South Kingstown Housing Authority.
Police Canine (K9)
In 2020, the South Kingstown Police Department implemented the first police canine team within the patrol division since the 1970’s. The police canine team can be in a variety of ways as the canine team are certified in narcotics detection, search and rescue and suspect apprehension. The police canine team are also utilized for community events and demonstrations throughout the state and are on-call to assist 24 hours a day to preserve public safety in South Kingstown.
Dive Team
The South Kingstown Police Dive Team began in 2013 and joined the already established Union Fire District Dive Team. Members of the Dive Team are certified in open water, advanced, rescue diving and swift water recovery. The South Kingstown Police & Fire Dive Team conducts regular trainings in both fresh and saltwater around Washington County. The mission of the Dive Team is to be prepared to respond to emergency situations in creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes and Block Island Sound for search, recovery and evidence collection operations.
