CT Public Safety Head Steps Down; Lamont Nominates Successor

HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Commissioner James Rovella will retire from state service next month. Gov. Ned Lamont has nominated Ronnell Higgins, who has served for decades with Yale University's police and public safety departments, for the position.

DESPP is a state agency that consists of six divisions responsible for providing a broad range of the state’s public safety, emergency response, and homeland security services.

Col. Stavros Mellekas, deputy commissioner of DESPP and commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police, also plans to step down from his service with the state.

Higgins will identify a successor to serve in this role, according to a statement from Lamont.

Rovella has served as the head of DESPP since the Lamont administration began in January 2019. He spent his career in public safety, first starting as a patrol officer, then detective, with the Hartford Police Department.

He then spent 12 years working for the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, where he oversaw cold cases and other investigations. Following this, he returned to the Hartford Police Department to become chief before Lamont asked him to serve in his current position with the state.

“Commissioner Rovella is a valued and well-respected member of my administration and Connecticut’s law enforcement community, and throughout his career he has provided the people of Hartford and the residents of our entire state with service that has improved the safety of our neighborhoods while focusing on efforts that reduce recidivism and build stronger communities,” Lamont said in a statement.

Higgins currently serves as associate vice president for public safety and community engagement for Yale University, a position he has held since June 2022. Before that, he served as Yale’s chief of police beginning in 2011. He first joined Yale’s police department in 1997 as a police officer and served the department in several ranks, including as sergeant, patrol commander, and lieutenant.

Prior to joining Yale, Higgins worked as a correction officer at the Bridgeport Correctional Center from 1994 to 1997.

During his tenure as police chief, Higgins was instrumental in significantly reducing crime on campus, reducing rates to their lowest levels since Yale began reporting in 1985.

Before confirmation by the legislature next year, Higgins will serve as interim commissioner.