City Council Creates Special Committee on Public Safety
Council President Sabina Matos has created a special committee to examine public safety in municipal-owned buildings and has tapped Councilman James Taylor to lead the effort.
“After much discussion with my colleagues I decided to create a special committee to explore public safety in our city-owned facilities,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “City Hall and other municipal buildings are used for public meetings, and although we have security protocols in place, there is always more we can do to ensure the safety of all that visit and work in our facilities.”
The Special Committee on Public Safety will include:
- Councilman James E. Taylor, Chair
- Council President Pro Tempore Michael J. Correia, Vice-Chair
- Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr.
- Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris
- Councilwoman Rachel M. Miller
Councilman James E. Taylor stated, “Public safety is only discussed during the budget season, and we need to be proactive instead of reactive. I believe that this committee can address some of these public safety issues that we face. In addition to looking at the security and safety of public buildings, we will be addressing the current challenges of having our E911 CAD system upgraded to receive ANI (Automatic Number Identification) and ALI (Automatic Location Identifier) to make Police and Fire Dispatch more efficient. The Committee will also address why the Providence Fire Department, the Country’s second oldest paid Fire Department, does not currently have a dedicated Chief and hasn’t for the past four years. We live in turbulent times, and as a life-long public safety officer I believe in preparedness, and that’s my goal for this committee.”
The Special Committee on Public Safety will meet regularly and will work closely with all stakeholders, including public safety officials in the city and the state.
