Providence Rhode Island Police Department

About the Providence Rhode Island Police Department

The Providence Police Department is one of the oldest police departments in the United States, with its origins dating back to the Revolutionary War in 1775, when night watchmen first walked the City and in 1848, with the issuance of the first badge. This continued in 1851, when "Day Men" were instituted citywide, and the city's police force was formally chartered in 1864. Currently the second largest law enforcement entity in New England, The Providence Police Department has evolved into a highly regarded police agency that utilizes the best in technological and human resources to service the second largest populated area in New England.

The motto of the members of the Department is "SEMPER VIGILANS," a term in Latin that is defined as "Always Vigilant." This belief is not only displayed on the patch of the Providence Police, but is exemplified in the Department's commitment to Community Policing, and its immersion into various neighborhoods that define our City. The men and women that serve within the Providence Police Department are part of a proud legacy of policing that spans a timeline through three centuries in Rhode Island's Capital City.