ANTHONY ROBERSON EDUCATING A NEW GENERATION OF POLICE OFFICERS.
A nthony Roberson is a big proponent of education in law enforcement. He should know: He holds six degrees, including a doctorate in educational leadership from Liberty University.
Encouraging his officers to continue their education is one of the tenets of his approach as police chief of Central Falls. He points out that studies have shown an educated officer is less likely to use excessive force.
“ We wield a lot of authority. We can take freedom, albeit temporarily, by way of arrest, and can use force by law. So at the bare minimum, we should be educated,” he says.
Growing up in Providence’ s poorer neighborhoods, he says, police were a frequent sight, most often in response to an inci- dent. Roberson’ s own philosophy calls for a broader presence— establishing relationships within the community and addressing issues before incidents happen.
After attending Mount Pleasant and Hope high schools and graduating from the now-closed Textron Chamber of Commerce Academy, he completed a stint with AmeriCorps and began his law enforcement career in Brown University’ s Department of Public Safety. In 2002, Roberson was hired by the Providence Police Department, where he would spend the next nineteen years shaping his approach to policing. As a young patrol officer, he says, he was inspired by those who gave back to their fields during the infancy of his career.
“ You have that‘ protect and serve,’” he says.“ I think [ being ] strong on the protect side, but an emphasis on the service part is key. And being more innovative and more proficient in that service part. When I say that, I mean being service-minded.”
His community policing initiatives have earned recognition both nationally and within the state. In Providence, he founded the Leading Ladies Initiative, which empowers young women by connecting them with professional mentors through weekend retreats. Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera, he says, has been a strong supporter of the initiative and champions its mission. He also founded Cops and Docs, a career program that connects students with professionals in both the medical and law enforcement fields, and Breaking Barriers, which exposes young men to fields they would not traditionally encounter, such as aviation. Another program, the Handshake Initiative, gathers adults from various fields to welcome students at school.
“ There’ s an undercurrent to all of these programs,” Roberson says.“ Stephanie, Mom and Dad get to know Anthony behind the shield. And I get to know them. That makes me a better professional in this field.”
He also partners with community organizations, bringing in the Nonviolence Institute to train his officers and serving on the board of directors for the YMCA of Pawtucket. He views professional development as critical to the department, requiring command staff to complete training in senior management and leadership and encouraging all officers to continue their education.
“ The field of law enforcement, it’ s so much more complex today than it was years ago. There’ s a great benefit to that officer regardless of where they rest in the organization,” he says.
In a world that demands more of its law enforcement professionals— Roberson names addressing the trauma of victims as one element that’ s come into sharper focus since he joined the profession— he prioritizes community partnerships as a way to implement long-term change.
“ Addressing how you can better serve any community in a collaborative manner in order to address those issues for the short and long term is just better. That’ s the way to do it,” he says.— Lauren Clem
82 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY I OCTOBER 2026