Rhode Island General Laws Title 42. State Affairs and Government § 42-29-1. Appointment--Powers and duties--Removal

(a) The director of the department of public safety shall appoint deputy sheriffs and other necessary classifications pursuant to rank structure, subject to the appropriations process. Deputy sheriffs and other employees of the sheriff's division shall be subject to the supervision of the chief/sheriff appointed by the director of the department of public safety who may assign tasks and functions in order to ensure the proper management of the sheriffs’ division. Any deputy sheriff hired after July 1, 2001, must successfully complete the sheriff academy and any courses deemed necessary at the municipal police training academy prior to assuming the duties of a deputy sheriff. Furthermore, the director of the department of public safety in conjunction with the personnel administrator shall be responsible for promulgating written class specifications with necessary minimum qualifications defined in them. Deputy sheriffs can be removed for just cause by their appointing authority.

(b) All deputy sheriffs, and the deputy sheriffs  1 shall perform all the duties required and exercise all the powers prescribed in this chapter; chapter 15 of title 5; chapters 5 and 10 of title 9; chapters 5, 10 and 14 of title 10; chapters 8, 31, 34, 36 and 44 of title 11; chapters 4, 5 and 6 of title 12; chapter 22 of title 17; chapters 4 and 6 of title 22; chapter 2 of title 28; chapter 6 of title 35; chapter 8 of title 37; and all other provisions of the general laws and public laws insofar as those powers and duties relate to the deputy sheriffs and as required and prescribed in all other provisions of the general laws and public laws relating to the powers and duties of the sheriffs.

(c) All resources of the sheriffs shall be transferred to the division of sheriffs within the department of public safety. These resources include, but are not limited to, all positions, property, accounts and other funding pertinent to sheriffs.