Tiverton RI

Tiverton, RI Criminal and DUI Defense

The Tiverton Police Department tends to remain the busiest police department in Rhode Island, in relation to their resources. While DUI arrests on Main Rd, East Rd. and Stafford Rd. are common, officers’ attention is usually more focused on serious crimes, which are frequently occurring in this area. Tiverton DUI and Criminal cases are prosecuted at the Newport County Courthouse on Thursdays, which is the day on which a representative from their solicitor’s office is present. The Tiverton Police are faced with numerous jurisdictional challenges, as they border Massachusetts to the North, and they are often times forced to pursue vehicles over the Sakonnet River Bridge into Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

The
Tiverton Police Department was busier than usual in 2010. A recently released annual statistics report indicates that the department reached a 10-year high in arrests.

While there were decreases in
motor vehicle accidents and theft, Tiverton Police have reportedly increased arrests in every other statistical category. The report states that arrests totaled 655 in 2010, a 40 percent increase from 2009. Traffic-related citations jumped to 2,396 in 2010, or a 52 percent increase, and calls for service increased by 9 percent, to 19,132.

Total crimes against persons, which include assault, homicide and rape, increased 34 percent. Crimes against society, labeled “drugs and vice”, are up 102 percent. Police officials state that increase is a combination of breaks in investigations, more motor vehicle stops and "moving on contacts."

Being next to Massachusetts’ eighth largest city, Fall River, contributes to the overall increase in Tiverton's activity. The small town is second next to Newport for felony packages presented in
Second District Court.

Criminal Defense issues in Tiverton are best handled by an attorney familiar with the various personnel that handle these matters. Furthermore, a thorough knowledge of the local area is required in order to gauge a potential factual defense or jurisdictional challenge.