Rhode Island spends a lot more on police and fire services than other states, according to a report released Monday by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council.
RIPEC, a business-backed research group, found that these costs are a key driver of the property tax burden for residents and businesses.
Based on 2024 data, RIPEC said that Rhode Island ranks first nationally in spending on fire protection services, on both a per capita and a personal income basis. Police spending ranked ninth per capita and sixth based on personal income.
“Rhode Island spends considerably more on police and fire protection than most of the country, particularly on fire protection,” RIPEC President/CEO Michael DiBiase said in a statement. “Yet there is little evidence that the state has a greater need for these services. Rhode Island has among the five lowest crime rates in the nation, and while data on fire incidents are limited, there is no evidence that Rhode Island experiences high levels of fire activity relative to other states.”
RIPEC’s report is the latest in a series on government spending.
“Statewide spending levels only tell part of the story,” DiBiaise said. “There are very large differences in what communities spend on police and fire protection.”
For example, combined police/fire per capita spending exceeded $1,000 in nine Rhode Island communities, but was less than $500 in six others: West Greenwich, South Kingstown, Richmond, Bristol, Foster and Exeter.
Newport had the highest per-capita spending for both police ($746) and fire ($840).
RIPEC said statewide police and fire spending grew at about 4% per year from fiscal 2019 to 2024, and called for restraining that growth rate.
