Charlestown Police Department
The Charlestown Police Department (CPD) is the municipal police agency for Charlestown, Rhode Island.
| Charlestown Police Department | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Charlestown, Rhode Island, United States |
| Size | 47 square miles (120 km2) |
| Population | 8,000 |
| Police Officers | 20 |
| Civilians | 5 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | |
| charlestownpolice.org | |
CPD has two divisions, the largest being the uniformed branch or Patrol Operations Division and the other being the administrative and detective branch or Criminal Investigations Division.
CPD is staffed by 20 sworn police officers and five full-time civilian employees. The CPD full-time staff is supplemented with seven part-time sworn special police officers, fourteen non-sworn traffic constables and several additional part-time administrative personnel.
CPD is a Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission (RIPAC) accredited agency, receiving its initial accreditation in 2017.
CPD is under the command of Colonel Michael J. Paliotta, Chief of Police.
Staff
- (1) Chief of Police
- (2) Lieutenants
- (4) Sergeants
- (2) Detectives
- (11) Patrol Officers
- (4) Dispatchers
- (1) Police Secretary
History
The seasonal nature of the seaside community of Charlestown lends to its significant seasonal population fluctuations and increases in calls for service during the summer months. Local population increases range from a year-round resident population of 8,000 people to over 25,000 people on any given summer weekend.
Between the early 1900s and the mid-1970s, Charlestown had no organized full-time police department and relied solely on a part-time Chief of Police and a few appointed constables. The Town's first Chief of Police was Chief Robert P. Day circa 1912. Since Chief Day, ten (10) others police executives have held the position including the current Chief of Police, Col. Michael J. Paliotta.
CPD headquarters is located at 4901 Old Post Road in Charlestown, The {14,000 square foot} building replaced the out-of-date police facility at Town Hall in 2006.
Specialized units
The CPD handles all emergency dispatch services for the Charlestown Fire Department and the Charlestown Ambulance and Rescue Service. The CPD oversees several specialized units including the Charlestown Harbor Master(s) program and Charlestown Animal Control.
CPD officers have specialized training in ATV operations, mountain bike patrol, school resource officer (SRO), advanced accident investigation, evidence collection and processing, digital forensics, firearms and less lethal use of force instruction.