Steps to become a Police Officer in Rhode Island
Reach out to police departments looking to hire new officers.
The chosen police department will hire you as a probationary police officer and sponsor you to the Rhode Island Municipal Police Training Academy.
*To be enrolled in the Police Academy, the police department sponsoring you must submit an application to the Police Academy
If your application is accepted, you will be enrolled in the next recruitment class.
Complete 22 weeks of recruitment classes
Pass the Physical Fitness Assessment
Fit 2 Serve
Fit2Serve is a Rhode Island-based public safety fitness and testing organization that designs and administers standardized physical readiness assessments for police officer candidates and other public safety professionals. Their mission is to ensure individuals are “fit to serve on day one” by providing objective, independent testing that departments can rely on to evaluate candidates’ physical capabilities and readiness for duty. In partnership with the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association, Fit2Serve administers both the physical agility test and entry-level written exam, helping streamline and professionalize the recruitment process statewide. Through this collaboration, Fit2Serve not only delivers validated testing results to departments but also supports candidates with training programs and guidance to meet academy standards—creating a consistent, credible pipeline of qualified applicants for Rhode Island law enforcement agencies.