At tonight’s City Council meeting, Councilman David A. Salvatore (Ward 14) will put forth two resolutions regarding police reform in light of tragic events that have taken place across the nation.

The first resolution requests that the Providence Retirement Board review the rules and regulations surrounding police officer pensions, and specifically how the City of Providence handles pension benefits for police officers who have been disciplined for the use of excessive force.

“It is not right for any officer who has been disciplined for the use of excessive force to continue receiving compensation or pension benefits,” stated Councilman David Salvatore. “I am asking the Retirement Board to review this process and make recommendations to the City Council, as I believe it is a critical step towards rebuilding trust between residents and their local law enforcement in our City.”

The second resolution urges the Rhode Island General Assembly to enact legislation imposing a duty to intervene on all Rhode Island law enforcement officers who witness misconduct by a fellow officer.

“Three additional police officers watched as George Floyd was killed by another officer. This behavior is unacceptable. In the State of Rhode Island, we must demand that our police officers stand by their oath to serve and protect our citizens, and an important part of this is intervening when a fellow officer is behaving inappropriately. This could have saved the lives of Mr. Floyd and others,” added Councilman Salvatore.

Both of these resolutions have been co-sponsored by Councilman Pedro Espinal (Ward 10), Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3), Councilwoman Helen Anthony (Ward 2) and Councilwoman Rachel Miller (Ward 13). Additionally, the second resolution is also co-sponsored by Councilman John Igliozzi (Ward 7).