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Woonsocket, RI Police

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Posted by: PtlmRube

To all intereste parties: The city of Woonsocket, RI will be beginning a recruiting drive. Applications are avaliable online, at the department, and city hall. See the website www.woonsocketpolice.com for more info. Be advised, no pay rate/benefits listed on the site. It is currently being constructed. Take the test, its worth it.


Posted by: redsox03

I've been waiting for this one. Thanks for posting it.


Posted by: Foxy85

Anyone know the PAT requirements.....specificly the time requirements....Is it scaled like the military, where its based on age, or is it one standard for everyone.....?


Posted by: topcop14

Female officer who searched the prisoner is the chiefs ex. . .



WOONSOCKET, R.I.—Disciplinary action has been taken against four Woonsocket police officers after a woman arrested on drug charges brought a loaded handgun into her jail cell.
more stories like this


Police Chief Michael Houle says the November 7 incident has also prompted the department to make changes in its search and seizure procedures.
Houle says police officers confiscated cocaine from 49-year-old Anne Sullivan of Warwick following her early-morning arrest, but failed to notice the semi-automatic pistol that was hidden in the waistband of her pants.
The gun was not discovered until it fell to the ground while she was being transported to district court later in the day.
Two of the officers who had contact with Sullivan have been suspended for two months without pay. A third officer was given a two-day suspension and the other received a written reprimand. Houle says disciplinary action against a fifth officer is pending.


Posted by: rg1283

That story has been going on for awhile. Woonsocket, RI is a very busy city as far as police activity. Overall its a pretty nice place. Except by Social Street. One thing about RI they are a one academy state for all Muncipal PDs (except Providence). All Municipal PDs, Brown University, RI College, Community Colleges, RI Environmental, RI State Sheriffs and RI Airport Police attend the same academy at Community College of RI, Lincoln. Woonsocket, RI has begun to arm some officers with tasers also.


Posted by: dcorn18

I noticed the minimum age requirement for the job is 18. Does this mean LTC in Rhode Island is only 18 years old? Also is there there an exam given to be hired for this dept?


Posted by: MARINECOP

Good PD with a lot of action. My Chief is from there and says nothing but good things about the department.


Posted by: OutOfManyOne

Quote:
Originally Posted by MARINECOP
Good PD with a lot of action. My Chief is from there and says nothing but good things about the department.
Do you have to salute him everyday too?


Posted by: GD

Quote:
Originally Posted by MARINECOP
Good PD with a lot of action. My Chief is from there and says nothing but good things about the department.
The department has some great guys!! However, I would stay away from this department. It has A LOT of problems.

The guys HATE the chief. The morale is 0. The mayor hates the police officers because of their support for a former police officier who challenged her in the mayorial race.
Where else do you know where a chief could become chief with a high school diploma.

Just my opinion.


Posted by: SterlingPD

I was not going to respond to this post for obvious reasons, however I think I can provide some valuable insight into the department.
As previously mentioned it is an excellent department with some great people, plenty of opportunities for advancement and movement. The department has 100 officers, there is a detective division, traffic, juvenile, prosecution, motorcycles, narcotics, vice etc. Real busy and lots of arrest and action.
R.I. laws much more user friendly to the police, everybody gets arrested for anything no such thing as arrestable, non-arrestable.
Equipment is just OK the City is economically depressed so if you want state of the art equipment go elsewhere.
The Mayor is overbearing and has total control of everything including the Chief and deputy chief. Many promotions are for political reasons and that is why there are some problems there now.
Summary, good department, some of the best cops I ever met, Chief is puppet of Mayor. Politicians come and go, the mayor has been there for years and can't be there much longer. If you get the job you will be on midnights and have no dealings with the brass anyway.
Oh and no there is no saluting here! There is in Woonsocket.
There are no LTC or FID's in RI.
I'll try to answer other questions fair and honestly.


Posted by: OutOfManyOne

Quote:
Where else do you know where a chief could become chief with a high school diploma.
How about a Chief with a GED at Massasoit.
Quote:
Oh and no there is no saluting here! There is in Woonsocket.
Ok Chief, but your other fellow WPD guy makes his officers salute him in Rutland


Posted by: topcop14

Don't forget the new chief of Swillville also must solute the high chief, although I would take that over Ryan any day.


Posted by: Foxy85

If you're referring to Chief Landry of Millville, you're way off base.....


Posted by: GD

"Chief is puppet of Mayor."
Yes he is!!
Thanks, Dep. how sterling treating u?
Sterling P.D, you obviously know better than I from working there so many years. I am just an outsider looking in.
The guys in Woonsocket like I said before are great people, it is just an unfortunate situation!! I leave it at that.


Posted by: topcop14

Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxy85
If you're referring to Chief Landry of Millville, you're way off base.....
All I know about Landry is the soluting thing, he may be a great gut but I have trouble respecting any police chief that thinks he is so much better then his guys that one must solute. Howerver that being said anything is an improvment over the former dick of a chief.
Back to the topic, if Woonsocket is so great why are the departments captains leaving in droves.


Posted by: SterlingPD

Quote:
Originally Posted by topcop14
Back to the topic, if Woonsocket is so great why are the departments captains leaving in droves.
Several reasons, the pension system is different in RI than MA. You can take your pension after 20 years of service and there is no age requirment. You may also buy military time and add years to your pension. You also collect as soon as you retire and don't have to wait to age 55. Although it may not be enough to live the same lifestyle you were accustomed to on a captain's pay, take that pension and add it to a chief's pay and it is quite lucrative.
That said, money was not my motive (although it played a factor) I got sick of the petty politics taking place.


As for saluting, it has nothing to do with one person being "better" than someone else. Many RI departments do it, guess things are different in MA. Once you are use to it, it becomes second nature and not a major issue like so many people make it out to be.



Posted by: Macop

Its a major issue when you come to Mass and start telling cops to salute when its not a standard practice. It belongs in the military, not civilian Law Enforcement.


Posted by: OutOfManyOne

Quote:
Originally Posted by SterlingPD
As for saluting, it has nothing to do with one person being "better" than someone else. Many RI departments do it, guess things are different in MA. Once you are use to it, it becomes second nature and not a major issue like so many people make it out to be.
GOOD MORNING CHIEF!!!!



Posted by: sempergumby

Woony as we call it is a busy City. I work with their Detective unit alot. Great group of guys. Lotsof action. The Chief is a good man its the position and the polotics that make it tuff.
Other parts of woony suck hard besides social street. Try Morin heights or front St ( k2U ) if you know what I mean.
I don't know about pay but I will find out from the source.


Posted by: HELPMe

Can someone please tell me exactly how the process will work? I assume after filing your application you will receive a letter for an exam/interview date?


Posted by: djbfc

As of last week the Captain running the process said that a test date was not set yet but he expects it to be in January. He also said the fitness test would be conducted first then the written exam. That was all I was told. If you email him from their website he was very prompt and professional in his response.


Posted by: Foxy85

Topcop, you truly have no idea what you're talking about...

Chief Landry doesn't require saluting....LOL, hes one of the most laid back, easy going Chief's....he'll do anything for his guys....He sponsored to of his PTer's to the FT academy at their request.....That department has really come along way from the way it used to be....

Please don't spread stupid rumors about him and making his officer salute...


Posted by: topcop14

Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxy85
Topcop, you truly have no idea what you're talking about...

Chief Landry doesn't require saluting....LOL, hes one of the most laid back, easy going Chief's....he'll do anything for his guys....He sponsored to of his PTer's to the FT academy at their request.....That department has really come along way from the way it used to be....

Please don't spread stupid rumors about him and making his officer salute...
I did not intend to spread a rumor, my source is another former millville office.r Instead of turning this into a public pissing contest you could have PM me like some one else did. I STAND COORECTED, It is about time that they got a good chief.


Posted by: Foxy85

Wasn't meant to be a pissing contest...I simply wanted to strongly denounce your statement about him requiring his guys to salute...

I apologize if i upset you...


Posted by: PtlmRube

reminder: job posting closes 4 Jan 08. Applications are accepted until 1600hrs at City Hall. It is unknown at this time how many applicants or the date of the test.


Posted by: GD

Police union votes no confidence in Chief Houle

By JOSEPH FITZGERALDWOONSOCKET – A defiant Woonsocket Police Chief Michael L.A. Houle blasted the police union’s vote of no confidence on Wednesday, saying the union’s gripes have nothing to do with him but everything to do with the union’s need to control the Police Department. “The fight is on,” Houle said shortly after the vote was taken. “I’m not going anywhere. I don’t care what the union says. This is not about me. It’s about the fact that the union doesn’t have a contract and has filed for arbitration. It’s about the fact that the union doesn’t want to make co-payments for medical like the other two unions in this city. This has nothing to do with me or my job performance.”The International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 404 took the vote on Wednesday with 79 officers voting no confidence and six in support of the chief. Union leaders say the vote is a reflection of the department’s lack of confidence in Houle’s leadership abilities.“The vote count was unambiguous,” said Det. Sgt. John Scully, president of IBPO Local 404. “More than 90 percent of officers, including captain, lieutenants, sergeants, detectives and patrol officers have clearly sent the city management a message with this vote.”“The men and women of the department have taken only the second vote of no confidence in 40 years,” Scully said. “This vote was not the action of a few disaffected members, but rather, represents a true accounting of the opinions of the Police Department as a whole.”The union has been at odds with Houle, a 26-year veteran of the police force, almost since the day he was appointed chief. During his tenure there has been a litany of problems and controversies plaguing the department.Houle, who was given the results of the union vote shortly after it was taken, is challenging its accuracy, saying “the numbers don’t add up.”“Think about it,” he said. “They (union) control the ballots, the ballot boxes and the sign-up sheets, and they expect everyone to believe the vote is accurate? Give me a break.”The union is claiming that there were 12 officers ineligible to vote, including seven probationary officers; three officers on long-term disability; and two deployed to the Middle East. Houle says most of those “ineligible” officers could have been contacted.“It’s a joke,” the chief said. “The fact of the matter is they don’t have a contract and they’ve filed for arbitration. This is all about the union wanting to control the department. They claim this is only the second time in 40 years that a no confidence vote in the chief has been taken, but they’ve threatened no confidence with the last three chiefs.”Houle says the union membership was given 10 issues of concern to base the no confidence vote on, but that the union leadership has not told him what those issues are. Scully has said in recent past press interviews that the issues are based on inadequate leadership and an uneven handling of department discipline, all of which has led to low morale within the department.Scully said the vote was “not taken arbitrarily.”“Members have continually called for a vote for the past nine months, but until recently the leadership of the local resisted such a measure,” he said.Instead, Scully said the union has attempted to remedy what he called “inappropriate actions of the chief” by seeking relief from the chain of command (public safety chief and City Council). “That asked-for-relief has been extremely slow in coming,” Scully said.For example, Scully said, a management study of the Police Department was requested at a public hearing before the City Council on June 18, but has not yet been done. “This is not the fault of the council,” he said. “They have been systematically thwarted in their efforts by the city’s administration.”Earlier this month, the council voted to hire an outside consultant to conduct an independent management study of the department, which comes after a tumultuous year for the police force.
The department has dealt with a series of recent suspensions, including Houle, who was suspended for two days in May after he admitted destroying drug evidence that he said was tainted.Two officers, Capt. Walter Warot and Lt. Timothy Paul, were suspended by Houle on July 13 on charges of violation of department operational policies and insubordination for their part in an investigation of Patrolman Steven Fairley, who is alleged to have tampered with a Police Department computer to embarrass a workplace rival. The charges were later dismissed in Superior Court.Earlier this month, several police officers were disciplined after a woman arrested on drug charges was able to bring a loaded handgun into her jail cell.
Scully said the union is calling on Houle to reflect upon his tenure and examine his future. “We maintain that the good of the department outweighs the continued selfish interest of an individual. We call upon the community to do the same.”Houle, 47, appointed chief of police by Mayor Susan D. Menard in December of 2005, defended his record, saying he’s done more for the department in the last year than previous chiefs have done in the past 20 years, including overhauling the department’s vehicles and computer system; bringing in more than $1 million in drug forfeiture money; and coming in under budget by more than $400,000.Houle was transferred to the detective division in 1990, earning the rank of sergeant the next year and lieutenant in 1992. In 2000, Houle was in charge of the day patrol officers until Menard named him deputy chief in 2003.When asked to comment on Wednesday’s vote, Menard said she “could care less.”“When I chief gets a no-confidence vote that’s usually an indication to me that he’s doing his job and running the Police Department the way it should be run. This is all about the contract and they’re taking it out on the police chief. They filed for arbitration last week because they didn’t get their way and this is their way of trying to get us back. Be my guest.”In the meantime, Houle says he will continue to run the department to the best of his ability.“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “They (union) can jump up and down all they want. I’ll go when I want to go and that time is not now



Posted by: Macop

Sounds like its a real good time NOT to get hired in that P.D!


Posted by: rg1283

By coming in underbudget, and being a jerk to the union (who BTW helped to get him where is today no doubt when he was a street cop), it seems what we have here is a RI version of CLK.


Posted by: Irish Wampanoag

Quote:
Originally Posted by GD
The department has some great guys!! However, I would stay away from this department. It has A LOT of problems.

The guys HATE the chief. The morale is 0. The mayor hates the police officers because of their support for a former police officier who challenged her in the mayorial race.
Where else do you know where a chief could become chief with a high school diploma.

Just my opinion.

Sounds like your talking about Massachusetts


Posted by: redsox03

Anyone know if they make a list from the scores or if they give interviews to all who pass the PT and written tests? I emailed the WPD and got no response.


Posted by: SSPO#11

Chief Landry does NOT require his officers to salute. There is no room for anyone elses opinion or thoughts. IT'S A FACT.

Just look on the bright side, if you get hired in Woonsocket you can come back to Mass and be a chief someday! LOL.


Posted by: Foxy85

He is a stickler about wearing hats though....


Posted by: redsox03

Quote:
Originally Posted by redsox03
Anyone know if they make a list from the scores or if they give interviews to all who pass the PT and written tests? I emailed the WPD and got no response.
Anyone know?


Posted by: SterlingPD

They have way too many applicants to interview all who pass. It depends on how many vacancies they have. For one vacancy they will take the top three to five people who scored the highest on the written and interview them. If there are more vacancies they will interview more. Generally I think they will interview three to five for every vacancy.
The medical and psychological evaluations get expensive so if you make it that far if you pass them both you will get on an eligibility list and "almost" assured a position.

PS I would not be e-mailing the department with a bunch of questions, since the person receiving them is most likely going to be involved in the hiring process. Who wants to hire someone who is a PITA before he is even sworn in, there will be plenty of time later for that. Just apply, go with the flow, be where you are suppose to be when you are suppose to be there.

These are my opinions alone, and I am no way associated with the WPD and am not part of the hiring process, all other disclaimers apply, Your results may vary.


Posted by: LawMan3

got my letter from woonsocket today, taking the entrance exam 2/16/08 at 8am...anyone else taking it then too?


Posted by: redsox03

I didn't get one yet. Maybe on Monday I will.


Posted by: LawMan3

anyone take the test at woonsocket high school this morning? i think there were only candidates with last names from a-m today, not positive though.


Posted by: futurecop87

Ya I did It was a-m this mourning and n-z today at 1

what you think?


Posted by: LawMan3

The exam didn't seem too bad, a lot of dumb questions on there. Hopefully i did well, at least well enough to get a letter for the PAT. An extra 2 points for a degree always helps too. How did you feel you did?


Posted by: futurecop87

ya there were some tricky questions on there. I think I did alright, we will soon find out. Do you know how many people they are looking to hire? and is it pretty much a pass and you get a pt?


Posted by: redsox03

I took the afternoon exam. There was about 60 people taking the test. I'm sure there was more during the morning exam though?

Quote:
Originally Posted by futurecop87 View Post
is it pretty much a pass and you get a pt?
They said the top scoring candidates will be invited to take the PT test.


Posted by: LawMan3

I took the morning test and there were probably about 60 candidates taking it. Just a ballpark figure, anyone know the exact number of examinees an how many they're looking to hire?


Posted by: redsox03

Anyone else get a letter today for the PT test?


Posted by: futurecop87

what u score on the test? how do you find out


Posted by: LawMan3

Quote:
Originally Posted by redsox03 View Post
Anyone else get a letter today for the PT test?
I got a letter today for the PT test on the 29th of March.


Posted by: Muscles879

Whats the pay?


Posted by: redsox03

I can't get the doctor's note to take the PT test. She wont give it to me because I haven't had a MRI on the shoulder I dislocated. I told her it feels fine and I've been working out, but she doesn't want to "risk" it.


Posted by: LawMan3

I'm not going either, i'm just taking tests right now so I can get the practice. Plus I can't get an appointment to get a doctor's not anyways. No big deal, still have a year of college to finish.


Posted by: PBiddy35

Redsox/Lawman. For other physical agility tests, I've been able to go to a walk-in clinic or MGH walk-in and be seen by any physician and they'd approve that I appeared healthy enough not to die from a PAT. A private walk-in clinic once cost me 70 bucks, but how much can this career cost us? If you're getting practice taking tests, practice taking PATs as well.


Posted by: GD

I would definitely apply! Sources tell me ten guys have put their retirement papers in!!




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