by Billy Kepner | Mar 15, 2017 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-7
The Providence City Council Committee on Finance tonight approved a contract with Taser International to supply the Providence Police Department with 250 body-worn cameras (BWCs) and accompanying equipment, training, and video storage at an approximate first-year cost of $292,000. The City of Providence acquired an “economy of scale,” according to Finance Committee Chairman John Igliozzi, by piggybacking on an existing contract with the City of San Antonio, Texas. The four-year contract can, however, be terminated at will by the City of Providence.
BWCs are widely credited for contributing to officer safety and providing a new level of transparency and accountability to policing operations. In a study published in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, researchers found that when officers in Rialto, California, began wearing body cameras, use of force by officers was reduced by 59 percent, and complaints against officers dropped 87 percent. Another report by Arizona State University revealed that the addition of body worn cameras in the Mesa Police Department yielded a 48 percent reduction in citizen complaints and a 75 percent decline in the use of force complaints. Similar results were reported in San Diego, California, where the use of pepper spray by officers wearing body cameras was reduced by 31 percent.
Overall, Providence police officers who have been trained to use the body cameras have reported positive results. During an eight-week pilot program, officers tested equipment from two suppliers and gave strong preference to the Taser brand, citing superior usability and reliability. Using the officers’ feedback and numerous case studies, the Providence Police Department developed formal policies regarding usage of the equipment and footage in advance of tonight’s vote.
“This technology will bring greater safety to the citizens in need of protection and the officers that do the protecting,” said Igliozzi. The Finance Committee’s thorough vetting of the contract yielded additional incentives from Taser International; the company, which also manufactures Taser guns, has agreed to include an additional 500 Taser cartridges at no cost to the city. “It was a good contract when it first came before the Finance Committee,” said Igliozzi. “It’s an even better contract now.”
If the contract is approved by the City Council, police officers will likely begin the implementation process within a few short months. The contract is expected to appear before the full City Council in early April.
by Billy Kepner | Mar 13, 2017 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10
Providence City Council President Luis Aponte today issued the following statement regarding the March 13 special meeting to schedule the recall election for Ward 3 Councilman Kevin Jackson:
“In compliance with the Providence City Charter, this matter was already on the docket for our regularly scheduled Council Meeting this Thursday, March 16th,” said Aponte. “The confusion around whether a special meeting was needed prior to that is a direct result of a conflict in state election laws and those laid out in the City Charter: state law requires a recall date to be set within 50 days of the signatures being certified, and the city charter provides for 60.” Aponte continued: “While I do question the somewhat harried intervention by the state while we were acting within the parameters of our Home Rule Charter to schedule this election, I certainly respect the process.”
by Billy Kepner | Mar 7, 2017 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15
The City Council on Thursday approved a resolution endorsing Governor Raimondo’s proposed expansion of the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship to provide every Rhode Island high school graduate with a two-year scholarship to an in-state public college or university.
The resolution was introduced by Council President Pro Tempore Sabina Matos (Ward 15), who lauded the proposal as a win for the state and its students: “The cost of higher education is an insurmountable barrier for so many families. Our high schools are full of talented young people eager to learn and achieve. Many of them dream of going to college but don’t have the financial resources to get there. This is their ticket to higher education, upward mobility, and economic security.”
Cracking the barrier to college, said Matos, can also have a tremendous impact on the state: “Cultivating a highly educated, highly skilled population is good for everyone. This proposal strengthens the state’s ability to retain its best young minds. Our state schools have so much to offer, and this is our chance to capitalize on that.”
Data suggests that an educated workforce is critical to economic development. According to the 2016 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook, 71% of jobs in Rhode Island will require post-secondary education by 2020. Between 2010 and 2014 in Rhode Island, adults with high school diplomas were almost three times more likely to be unemployed as those with bachelor’s degrees or higher.
by Billy Kepner | Mar 2, 2017 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-14
Councilman David Salvatore (Ward 14) will tonight introduce an ordinance amendment that, if approved, will establish a new Equal Pay Task Force for the City of Providence. The task force would study best practices from other municipalities, collect and analyze data from City departments and contractors, and advise the City Council and Mayor with policy recommendations that promote equal pay for equal work.
“It’s unacceptable that working women in America are not compensated for equal work,” said Salvatore. “Our government has a moral and ethical obligation to ensure all Americans are treated equally in the workplace.”
According to the Economic Policy Institute’s State of Working America Data Library, women who worked full-time and year-round in 2016 earned 20% less than their male counterparts. Salvatore hopes to position Providence as a leader in closing that gap: “The City of Providence should model the highest standards of wage equality. The Equal Pay Task Force would take a comprehensive look at what’s working in other cities across the country and help us find practical solutions to implement best practices.”
The seven-member panel would monitor employment data from the City’s vendors and develop new data collection procedures for companies seeking City subsidies. A streamlined process, said Salvatore, would minimize the burden on companies gathering and submitting the data. The panel would also be required to report its findings to the Human Relations Commission, City Council, and Mayor each year, and determine if legislation is needed to implement any recommendations.
by Billy Kepner | Feb 16, 2017 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-10, Ward-11
Fifteen students from Central High School surprised City Hall visitors and staff on Thursday with a flash mob performance during the Providence City Council’s Black History Month celebration. The students interrupted the speaking agenda to perform “We Shall Overcome,” which was followed by a spoken word performance and African dance. The flash mob was followed by storytelling performances from Valerie Tutson and Joe Wilson, Jr.
Behind-the-scenes plans for the flash mob began when Council President Luis Aponte first met the high school students during a holiday performance at Latino Public Radio in December. Impressed with the students’ talent, Aponte asked Central High School music teacher Joyce Bernau-Enriquez to help the students arrange a flash mob performance at City Hall. According to Bernau-Enriquez, the students spent upwards of 20 hours after school in preparation for the event. The students choreographed their own African dance routine and adopted a poem written by a fellow student for the spoken word performance.
The stunning performance kicked off the Council’s second annual Black History Month celebration, which features an archives exhibit that chronicles the black suffrage movement in Providence from 1785-1885. At the students’ request, dozens of elected officials, staff members, nd visitors joined them in singing a resounding chorus of “We Shall Overcome” in unison.
Storyteller Valerie Tutson also performed as Elleanor Eldridge (1785-1865), who left home at age ten for employment and later became a successful entrepreneur and Providence landlord. Joe Wilson Jr. of Trinity Repertory Company was the final act, performing as Alexander Crummell (1819-1898), an influential scholar, college professor, preacher, and education advocate for people of color.
“We are quite honored to have so much history in our archives department, right here in City Hall,” said Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris, who urged attendees to return to the exhibit with friends and family. She is also working with the Providence City Archives Department to develop a program for groups to come to City Hall and learn about the black suffrage movement in Providence. “Education is empowerment,” said Harris. “I want to bring my constituents to City Hall and share this history with them.”
The archives exhibit will be displayed on the third floor of City Hall through the end of March. To schedule a group tour, interested parties should contact Deputy Archivist Caleb Horton at (401) 680-5315.
