R.I. Gen. Laws
Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-7-21 (2026)

“Peace officer” defined

✓ current as of July 2026
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“Peace officer,” as used within this chapter, means the following individuals or members of:

(1) Rhode Island state police;

(2) Any member of a municipal or local police department;

(3) Rhode Island airport corporation police;

(4) Rhode Island park police;

(5) Rhode Island capitol police;

(6) Rhode Island conservation officers;

(7) Rhode Island department of environmental management officers;

(8) Rhode Island fire marshals;

(9) Brown University police officers;

(10) University of Rhode Island campus police officers;

(11) Rhode Island College campus security;

(12) Campus security at the Community College of Rhode Island;

(13) Rhode Island sheriff’s department;

(14) The investigators of the department of attorney general appointed pursuant to § 42-9-8.1;

(15) Any federal law enforcement officer;

(16) Correctional investigators, chief inspector and inspectors within the office of inspections, and correctional officers of the Rhode Island department of corrections;

(17) The witness protection coordinator of the department of attorney general;

(18) The warden, associate wardens, majors, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, correctional officers and investigators employed by a project operated by a municipal detention facility corporation, including, but not limited to, the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility; provided, such parties listed in this subsection (18) herein shall be deemed to be peace officers while in performance of their duties for the municipal detention facility only, and shall not be deemed to be peace officers at any time when they are not in performance of said duties;

(19) Retired non-permanent sworn members of any municipal police department shall be deemed to be peace officers only while in the performance of their duties for any municipal police department, and shall be permitted to carry their firearm while in the performance of their duties for the municipal police department, and shall be subject to in-service training requirements of title 42, chapter 28;

(20) Auto theft investigators appointed pursuant to § 31-50-1;

(21) Providence fire department arson investigators; provided, that the arson investigator is a graduate of a police-training academy; and

(22) Rhode Island School of Design police officers.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases, 1998–2016 · leading case: Huguenin v. Ponte, 29 F. Supp. 2d 57 (D.R.I. 1998).
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Huguenin v. Ponte, 29 F. Supp. 2d 57 (D.R.I. 1998). · cites it 15× “R.I.Gen.Laws § 12-7-21 (emphasis supplied).”
Mendonca v. City of Providence, 170 F. Supp. 3d 290 (D.R.I. 2016). · cites it 2× “First, he noted that Brown’s police force was the only nongovernmental entity whose agents were defined as “peace officers” by state statute (R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-7-21). IcL at *5. Then the plaintiff cited Brown’s website, on which the university publicized its police force as…”
State v. Ray Burgess, 138 A.3d 195 (R.I. 2016). · cites it 2× “The General Assembly has mandated that: “Whenever any judge of any court shall issue his or her warrant against any person for failure to appear or comply with a court order, or for failure to make payment of a court ordered fine, civil assessment, or order of restitution, the…”
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-7-21(1) — 1 case
State v. Ray Burgess, 138 A.3d 195 (R.I. 2016). “The General Assembly has mandated that: “Whenever any judge of any court shall issue his or her warrant against any person for failure to appear or comply with a court order, or for failure to make payment of a court ordered fine, civil assessment, or order of restitution, the…”
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