The Warwick Police Department is tasked with protecting the residents and visitors of its city. Serious threats to the public order, such as violent and organized crime, are assigned to the department’s Detective Division. This division is comprised of 24 detectives along with additional commanding officers who in turn are assigned to five groups within the Detective Division:
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- District Detectives
- Special Operations
- Digital Computer Forensics
- Night Detectives
- Bureau of Criminal Identification
To become a criminal investigator with the Warwick Police Department requires dedication, commitment, and skill. Candidates can start towards this goal by becoming a police officer and serving honorably for several years.
Preparing for Criminal Investigator Jobs with the Warwick Police Department
Candidates will need to have four years of good service as a Warwick police officer before they are eligible to become a detective with the department’s Detective Division.
Joining the PD – Joining the force initially as a police officer requires applicants to be able to meet one of the following requirements:
- Have 60 college credits in any subject
- Have three years of work experience as a police officer, corrections officer, or as an active member of the military
- Have five years of experience as a military reservist
Education Options – Education can be an important part becoming a detective. A college degree in a pertinent major will lay a strong foundation in the field of investigations, providing future detectives with demonstrable skills that will be used on a daily basis.
In addition to helping qualify applicants to be hired as a police officer, an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in one of these majors will also impart valuable knowledge:
- Criminal Justice
- Police Science
- Law Enforcement
- Forensic Science
- Crime Scene Investigation
Rank Structure and Pay – Police officers will start out as probationary patrol officers and can work their way up the ranks to Detective in four years:
- Probationary Patrol Officer – $750.64 per week during the first year
- Patrol Officer Third Class – $962.52 per week after one year of service
- Patrol Officer Second Class – $1,071.02 per week after two years of service
- Patrol Officer First Class – $1,209.99 per week after three years of service
- Detective – $1,306.77 per week after potentially four years of service
- Inspector – $1,385.13 per week
- Sergeant – $1,385.13 per week
- Lieutenant – $1,512.29 per week
- Captain – $1,659.97 per week
- Major – $1,767.57 per week
Warwick Police Department Criminal Investigator Training Requirements
A police officer’s detective training begins in the Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy, which lasts 22 weeks. During this time a new recruit will learn investigative essentials such as:
- Conducting an initial investigation
- Suspect questioning techniques
- Surveying and reconstructing a crime scene
- Responding to domestic violence
The academy is followed by additional instruction provided in the Warwick Police Department’s Field Training Officer program that will give first-hand on-the-job criminal investigator training.
By the time an officer has served for four years, he or she will have had the opportunity to complete a variety of in-service training programs covering subjects relevant to being assigned to the Detective Division.
Upon promotion to a detective position, candidates will also be trained in their particular area of expertise within one of the Detective Division units.