Colonel James J. Mendonca began his law enforcement career in 1988 as a correctional officer with the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, after separating from active duty with the United States Marine Corps.
In 1990, he was appointed as a patrol officer with the Central Falls Police Department, steadily rising through the ranks, earning numerous awards and gaining invaluable community policing experience along the way.
In recognition of his leadership abilities, on January 10, 2013, he was appointed the sixteenth chief of police for the Central Falls Police Department; assuming command at the onset of an unprecedented municipal bankruptcy.
Due to his guidance, the Central Falls Police Department became recognized for professional excellence by the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission (RIPAC) and by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
Colonel Mendonca retired from the Central Falls Police Department on April 25, 2019, after nearly 29-years of dedicated service to become Chief of Campus Police at Rhode Island College. Within four years of appointment—and in the midst of a pandemic— became the only Rhode Island police executive to have led two agencies to CALEA Accreditation.
Colonel Mendonca holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Administration of Justice from Roger Williams University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from Excelsior College.
In addition to being a recipient of the Hassenfeld Family Foundation Rhode Island Public Service fellowship, at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, he is a graduate of the 256th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, and of the 59th session of the Police Executive Research Forum—Senior Management Institute for Police.
Among his many distinguished accomplishments, Colonel Mendonca served as the 55th President of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association and is currently serving as Chair of RIPAC, Vice-President of the Rhode Island Colleges and University Public Safety Administrators and Board Member of the 100 Club of Rhode Island.