Patrol troopers were moved out in July, 2008
PORTSMOUTH — The State Police have once again fully staffed the Portsmouth barracks with uniformed patrol troopers.
Lieutenant Eric C. LaRiviere, commander of the Portsmouth state police barracks and a 19-year veteran with the Rhode Island State Police, said that Tuesday, Nov. 3, was his and 11 other state troopers’ first days back in the Portsmouth station.
The barracks had been made a “substation” in July of 2008, State Police Lt. Col. Steven G. O’Donnell wrote in a letter to the Portsmouth Police Department, “due to number of mandatory retirements and the immediate need to reallocate troopers.”
Although there hadn’t been any patrol troopers in the barracks since then, troopers from the state police commercial enforcement division had been stationed there. They are tasked with inspecting trucks or any other commercial vehicles that travel the highway. The commercial enforcement troopers have been moved to a Scituate barracks.
Lt. LaRiviere said that new recruits who are graduating on Nov. 20 made it possible to put more troopers on the road. The patrol troopers will patrol the highways and state roads and assist Portsmouth police and those from other area communities.
While there may not be a trooper in the barracks at all times, there will always be a patrol out on the road, Lt. LaRiviere said. And when there’s no one in the barracks to answer the phone, calls will be re-directed to the Wickford state police barracks.
Perhaps the troopers who were supposed to be enforcing the commercial trucks who continually cross the bridge every single day should get their butts in gear and make this state some money we could afford to have them on the roads! The first truck over each day (3000 dollar fine) would definitely pay the salary of the officer and then some.....why it's not manned 24/7 is beyond me.........I see truck after truck who are WAY over the axle/18 ton limit cross every single day.
