Chief of Police, Christopher Francesconi

Christopher Francesconi, is police chief of the East Providence Police Department.

Francesconi, who has been with the East Providence Police for 21 years, oversees a department of 110 sworn and non-sworn members.

Francesconi joined the Department in 2000 having served as a leader in both the Patrol and Services Divisions.

During his first four years on the force, Francesconi served in patrol responding to emergency and non-emergency calls became a field training officer (FTO) where he was tasked with training new officers and served as a member of the Special Reaction Team.

Francesconi was promoted to serve as an investigator in the Department’s Vice Unit in 2004 where he remained until 2009. During his time with the unit, Francesconi also served as a task force agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration. He was then named Team Leader of the Department’s Special Reaction Team in 2010, where he served in that capacity until 2017.

He rose through the ranks first as a Sergeant in the Patrol Division and as Sergeant of the Office of Professional Standards in 2010. During his time in OPS, Francesconi was responsible for conducting impartial and objective investigations in accordance with the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights into cases of alleged police and civilian employee misconduct.

In 2014, Francesconi was promoted to Lieutenant where he was responsible for the supervision of 10-20 sworn officers and civilians. He was promoted to Captain of the Services Division just two years later and later served as Captain of the Patrol Division where he remained until 2019.

In May 2019, Francesconi was promoted to Deputy Chief of Police where he oversaw the management and leadership of the department’s four divisions, was responsible for assisting in the preparation of the department’s $17 million budget, and assisted the Chief of Police with all functions including planning, organizing, and directing members of the department.

In addition to his duties with the EPPD, Francesconi serves on the Mayor’s Community Advisory Board, a board that was created in an effort to bring varying racial and ethnic backgrounds with differing views together.

Francesconi earned his Master of Science in Administration of Justice and Homeland Security from Salve Regina University and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Saint Anselm College.