Foster is Fourth, Only Current, Officer on Tiverton Police Force

Tiverton Police welcomed its only current active duty female officer to the force last month. She is the fourth woman to serve the town. 

Officer Brittany Foster is the only female officer to currently serve the town. Tiverton hired its first female police officer, Deborah Vieira, in the 1980s, according to Capt. Patrick Jones, the town's public information officer.

Vieira left in the early 1990s and is reportedly now a practicing attorney. Officer Melissa Ripa was hired in the early 1990s and retired last year. Officer Amy Barboza was hired in 2004 and left the department in 2005. Barboza is now a police officer with the Brown University Police Department.  

"I do see how you tried to word the article to reflect how [Foster] is the only currently serving female officer," said Jones in an email on Tuesday, citing a recent Patch article, which originally reported Foster is the first female officer. "However, it was clearly not received that way."

Foster becomes the 30th member of the Tiverton Police force, which is an additional member to the department since the town reinstated the school resource officer in March.

The $70,000-per-year position is now partially paid for by the School District to reflect the 180 days per year spent patroling the town's public schools. The school would pays 75 percent, or $50,400 annually. The remainder is paid for by the town as the officer handles town duties during summer and school vacation times.

As a result of sharing an officer with the school department, the town elected to fund an additional full-time officer in its 2013-14 budget.