This morning the ninth homicide in the City of Providence occurred in Ward 4 at a business located on Branch Avenue. This is an alarming trend, and my residents and I are clear that we are not in favor of defunding the police department.

I’m calling on the City to implement a training academy as soon as possible to help get more officers on the streets and in our neighborhoods.

As an elected official, we take an oath to serve our constituents, and by defunding the police, we are breaking that moral pact. Taxpayers expect that their police department will be able to protect them and their properties. When we cut their budgets and ask them to serve the same constituents with fewer officers and less funding, we are making Providence the “wild west.” I won’t stand by and let that happen on my watch.

The constituents that I have spoken to are outraged that there is even a call to defund the police, and I agree. No one is critical of increased training around cultural competency and/or anti-discrimination training – that is not only reasonable but warranted in a multi-cultural city like Providence.

What happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis was deplorable, but we are not Minneapolis. Our police officers put their lives on the line every time they put on their uniform, and if one commits a crime or uses unreasonable force, I trust that our Chief will act accordingly, and he has.

I stand with our men and women in uniform and pledge that I will not vote on any budget that defunds the police.

Nicholas J. Narducci, Jr., Senior Deputy Majority Leader

Providence City Council

Councilman – Ward 4