Central Falls Police Appoint New Officer

CENTRAL FALLS – A swearing-in ceremony was conducted this afternoon at Central Falls City Hall. The candidate, Stephanie A. Ruano, a recent graduate of the Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy was appointed by Mayor James A. Diossa and the police chief, Colonel James J. Mendonca, before an audience of friends; family members; city and state officials; and colleagues within the ranks of Central Falls Police Department.

Officer Ruano, a city resident, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Johnson and Wales University – is also bilingual – and recently served the residents of Central Falls as a Public Safety Dispatcher.

Colonel Mendonca congratulated the new officer on “… completing the transformation from citizen to law enforcement officer.” The chief cautioned her to “never take action based on emotion. What a police officer does will have lifelong consequences to the citizens that officer is sworn to serve”.

The chief concluded by stating “that an officer must never allow a victim to be victimized a second time due to poor police practices”.

Officer Ruano will now embark upon an intensive ten-week Field Training Evaluation Program, and upon successful completion, will bring the police department’s compliment of officers to thirty-eight.