Charlestown Police Department

Charlestown Police Department
Agency overview
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction*	Town of Charlestown in the state of Rhode Island, United States
Size	47 square miles (120 km2)
Population	8,000
General nature	Law enforcement Civilian agency
Operational structure
Police Officers	20
Civilians	5
Agency executive	Jack M. Shippee, Chief of Police
Website
charlestownpolice.org
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The Charlestown Police Department (CPD) is a 24-Hour municipal police agency serving the Town of Charlestown, Rhode Island. The department's primary responsibilities are law enforcement, investigations and emergency communications within the town. It is currently staffed by a force of 20 sworn officers and 5 civilian employees. 15-20 part-time reserve officers supplement the department during summer months.

The Charlestown Police Department is currently under the command of Colonel Jack M. Shippee (Chief of Police).

Staff

• (1) Chief of Police
• (2) Lieutenants
• (3) Sergeants
• (3) Detectives
• (11)Patrolman
• (4) Dispatchers
• (1) Administrative Assistant

History

Due to Charlestown, Rhode Island being a summertime beach and tourism community, the Charlestown Police Department's call volume significantly increases during the summer months. The population in town increases from a year-round population of approx. 8,000 to 20,000 and higher on busy weekends.

From the 1910s to the 1970s, the Town of Charlestown had no organized police department. A part-time Chief of Police and a few constables were appointed by the town council and only used during emergencies. The town's first Chief of Police was Chief Robert P. Day around 1912. Since Chief Day, eight others have held the position including Colonel Shippee.

Current police operations are based out of a brand new state-of-the-art police facility located just off U.S. Route 1 across from Ninigret Park. The current 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m²) building replaced the out of date 6,000-square-foot (560 m²) building next to town hall.

Specialized Units

The Charlestown Police Department has several specialized units including a part-time multi-jurisdictional SWAT Team, a Bicycle/ATV team and an honor guard unit.

External links

• Charlestown Police Website