Part time police officers will provide Twin River-Tiverton casino with extra security
TIVERTON RI Aug 22 2018 — The town is expected to have one police officer on the premises of the new Twin River-Tiverton casino at all times, meaning three 8-hour shifts must be filled by town police every day at the casino that will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, beginning Sept. 1.
Police Chief Patrick Jones said the schedule for September is filled, but in order to ensure there is always a town police presence, he is in the process of setting up a reserve police force to help fill the 21 shifts a week at the casino.
That will leave few, if any, officers for road details.
A program that will begin in the fall at the high school for students interested in careers in law enforcement will prepare students who are at least 18 years old to work road details that are now being filled by officers who will soon be working inside at the casino. It is being called the Community Safety Officer program.
Twin River-Tiverton will have its own security personnel inside the casino and on the premises of the 21-acre development, which will have an 84-room hotel and parking garage. In addition, one town police officer and one firefighter will be in the casino at all times, according to an agreement between the town and casino operators.
The shifts are voluntary, Jones said, but at $45 an hour, which is the current standard detail pay, the officers will make more than some newer officers earn when they work overtime.
The town has a 31-person police force.
The casino will be billed $54 an hour for each detail, with $45 going to the officer and the rest to the town for administrative costs. A police car will be parked near the entrance to the casino and the town will be paid $20 an hour for it.
The idea for a reserve officer corps was discussed with the Town Council recently.
“It turns out they may be needed in two weeks,” Town Administrator Jan Reitsma told the council.
The council is expected to be presented with more information at its meeting next Monday, which is just days before the casino is scheduled to open.
The reserve corps would have no financial impact on the town, Jones said.
A draft contract for the reserve officers is being prepared and reviewed. Reitsma said the reserve officers would be non-union, non-permanent employees.
Jones said they would carry a firearm that they would return to the Police Department at the end of every shift.
The policy and contract for reserve officers is based on one from Newport, Jones said. “Newport has the best policy for reserve officers in the state,” Jones said.
Officers who would be in the reserve corps would have to be recent retirees who left the force no less than three years ago so they would still be current on law and certifications, Jones said. Reserve officers would have to maintain current certifications in order to continue to be eligible.
One retired officer from Tiverton and one from Bristol are currently interested in becoming reserve officers in town.
Jones said he would not need more than six reserve officers right now.
Newportri.com
