History of the Department

Aylsworth House
Aylsworth House

Prior Years

Foster is a residential and agricultural town established in 1636 and incorporated in 1781. The town includes the villages of Hopkins Mills, Clayville, Moosup Valley, North Foster, and Mount Vernon and covers 52.2 square miles. The Town has many historic locations including houses, farmsteads, stone walls, roads, and mill ruins.

The Foster Police Department was formally established by act of the Rhode Island General Assembly on April 27, 1964. Prior to that time, the Town was served by a Police Chief and Constables who were appointed by the Town Council.

A volunteer Police Force consisting of four citizens was established in 1928 by request of William Wright who was appointed Chief. Ellis Benis who served for twenty years was the first paid Police Chief, retiring in 1962.

During the 1960's the Department was staffed until midnight each day. Patrols from the Rhode Island State Police covered the Town during the overnight hours.

In the 1970's a full-time Foster Police officer was assigned to patrol the Town during the overnight hours. Calls were dispatched to the officer from either Rhode Island State Police Headquarters or the Scituate Police Department.

In 1981, the Foster Town Council ordained the first central dispatch system and the Department was staffed on a 24 hour basis for police, fire, and rescue services.


Recent Years

The Foster Police Department has evolved into a highly professional agency, staffed by a Police Chief, seven full time police officers, a K-9 unit, one reserve officer, an animal control officer, and six trained emergency dispatchers. The Department handled over 8,000 calls for service during the calendar year 2006 through our new, fully functional emergency operations center.

In July, 2011 the Department welcomed a new addition to the force. Ptl. Paul Manzi expressed interest in becoming a K-9 officer and through private donations acquired canine Denarius. In calendar year 2011, the Department handled 16,040 calls for service.

The Police Department is stationed in the historic Aylsworth House c.1874, located in Foster Center.  The Town is also famous for the Swamp Meadow Covered Bridge, which is depicted on our police shoulder patch.

The Department is currently comprised of 8 sworn police officers and 6 civilians - a total complement of 14 employees. Over the last year, we have shifted our emphasis from a traditional law enforcement role to a more proactive, community-oriented policing style to better serve our community.

We are proud of our history of service to the people of Foster and look forward to meeting the needs of a growing community in the future.