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Community Outreach Programs
Our Community Outreach Programs are designed to encourage conversation, education and participation.
Promoting Literacy with Free Little Library
Rock Island Police Department recognizes the vital role of reading to Children's individual achievement. In 2014, we launched the Badges for Books Program to help support and promote early reading.
- Seeking a Book? Children in kindergarten through sixth grade are invited to participate in book exchanges from our free little library located in our lobby.
- Have a Book to Donate? Simply place any new or gently used books inside our little library.
- No book to exchange? No worries, feel free to grab a book anyway.
Community Safety and Building Bonds with Bicycles
The Bicycle Patrol Unit of the Rock Island Police Department provides a beneficial service to the youth in the area by hosting bicycle rodeos for schools and community groups in Rock Island. These events are designed to teach elementary students about road safety while enhancing their biking skills.
For further details or to arrange a bicycle rodeo, feel free to reach out to us via email.
The Police Chaplain's Role:
Created in 2002, the Chaplain Program is an integral part of the Department’s Employee Assistance Program and provides department members and their families with access to clergy from the religious community.
Police Chaplains are volunteer members of the department who not only are available to assist members of the department, but also with the community in a variety of situations in which a religious counselor would be of benefit. Examples of these situations could include death notifications, serious injury notifications, intra-family crisis situations, or for families of those who have committed suicide.
The Rock Island police chaplain is also available to counsel with youth of the community and their families at their request as well as to console and comfort victims and relatives in community disasters.
The Rock Island Police Department currently has one Police Chaplain: Pastor Donald Johnson.
Building trust with the Community One Cup at a Time
The Rock Island Police Department hosts a monthly event called Coffee with a Cop, inviting community members to join them. The event takes place at various locations in Rock Island and offers an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships, and drink coffee.
If you are interested in co-hosting a Coffee with a Cop event with us, please send us an email.
Career Training
The Explorer Program focuses on young adult education within the law enforcement career field. High school and college students with similar career aspirations can participate in this program to acquire valuable insights and information about careers in law enforcement.
- Youth Engagement
- Hands-On Experience
- Career Preparation
- Aimed for Ages 14 - 20
Interested?
If you are interested in joining the Explorer Program, please send an email.
Formed in 1965, the Rock Island Police Department was the second police department in the State of Illinois to have a Police Honor Guard. The Honor Guard's primary responsibility is to honor lives of the fallen officers at funerals and memorial services but also to represent the Rock Island Police Department in official functions such as parades, the Quad City Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial, and the annual Officer and Firefighter of the year banquet.
Your Career with our Police Internship Program
The Rock Island Police Department is committed to providing a structured internship program for college students from various educational institutes. Internship advantages include college credit for work experience and training. Interns play a crucial role in assisting the Department in carrying out many vital support functions.
Considering the nature of police work and the internship duration, it is challenging to foresee the exact experiences interns will encounter. Internships usually consist of 80% observation and 20% hands-on tasks, allowing interns to rotate through various departments within the organization.
The Intern Selection Process Includes:
- Letter from the student or college requesting consideration into our internship program explaining the requirements that will need to be fulfilled through the internship (total hours needed, preferred dates, specific interest, etc.)
- Resume or Information sheet about the student.
- Three references.
- Student Background check.
Interested?
Send an email if you are interested in the Internship Program.
Request to See Our Police K9 Team in Action
The Canine Team not only performs patrol duties but also offers canine demonstrations for different groups and organizations. The aim of our Police K9 Demonstration is to highlight the hard work and training of this exceptional law enforcement team.
Request a K9 demonstration by email to discover more about the Rock Island Police Department's K9 Team.
Ready to go on a Police Read Along!
The Rock Island Police Department recognizes how important early reading is to childhood development. Studies show that kids who are proficient readers by the end of the third grade are more likely to graduate from high school and to be economically successful in adulthood.
Considering the importance of reading for a child's personal success, the Rock Island Police department collaborated with the Rock Island Library to launch the new "Police Read Along" program in 2024.
If your organization is interested on having a Rock Island Police Department member as a guest reader, kindly submit your request via email.
Gain Insight and See What It Takes to Protect and Serve
Residents of Rock Island, at least 18 years of age, or college students enrolled in a Law Enforcement curriculum, are invited to ride along with one of our police officers on a regular shift. This program offers residents the opportunity to gain insight into the operations of the Police Department and to experience the work that a police officer encounters.
Ride Along Request Form
Those looking to participate are required to fill out a ride along request form, which is also available at the front desk of the Police Department. Completed forms, should be submitted back to the front desk or by email.
SkillBridge Program Partnership
The Rock Island Police Department is now the first and only police agency in the Quad Cities to partner with the Department of Defense for their SkillBridge program, a 16-week internship for active-duty service members who are getting ready to transition back to civilian life. In this program, the service member continues to receive all pay and benefits from the military during their internship.
The Rock Island Police Department is proud to partner with DoD to offer this opportunity to the men and women who have faithfully served our county in the armed forces.
Prospective candidates can apply through the Iowa Workforce Development at workforce.iowa.gov or through the DoD SkillBridge website at skillbridge.osd.mil. For further questions, contact us via email.
Speakers Bureau Service
As a means of providing professional guidance in a wide variety of areas relating to law enforcement, the Rock Island Police Department Speakers Bureau offers complimentary speakers to local schools, community groups and civic organizations. Officers will tailor their presentations to meet your group's needs and answer any questions participants may have.
Topics Include:
- Crime Prevention
- Drug Awareness
- Gangs and Gang Crimes
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Home and Business Security
- Senior Safety
- Identity Theft
- K9 Demonstration
- Bicycle Rodeo
- Police Department Tour
Speaker Bureau Requests:
Please submit your Speaker Bureau request via email at least three weeks prior to your event.
Learning and Touring the Police Department
The Rock Island Police Department offers educational tours of the police facility for children's groups associated with organizations such as scouts or schools. The main aim of these tours is to showcase the various functions of the Police Department units. During the tour, groups are guided through the facility and given a short explanation of each unit as they visit areas such as the dispatch center, report writing section, briefing room, and patrol garage, along with opportunities for questions.
Request a group tour by email to discover more about our police facility.