by Abigail Appel | Aug 10, 2021 | Press Release, Ward-7
Tuesday’s special session of the Providence City Council dedicated to finding solutions to improve public safety.
Providence City Council President John Igliozzi offered the following statement regarding another weekend of violent crime incidents in Providence and the Council’s Tuesday emergency meeting devoted to finding solutions to improve public safety:
“This weekend, our city experienced another unacceptable bout of violent crime with a double murder occurring early Saturday morning and a triple shooting incident occurring early Sunday morning. We must devote every public safety resource at our disposal to end this terrible wave of violent crime, including welcoming a Neighborhood Response Team partnership between the Rhode Island State Police and the Providence Police Department, which Governor McKee has offered on multiple occasions. Too many city residents do not feel safe in their own neighborhoods as this violence continues, and too many visitors are sadly thinking twice about visiting our city’s amazing dining and entertainment establishments.
That is why I have called an emergency meeting of the Providence City Council for Tuesday at 5:45 PM. This emergency meeting is devoted to finding solutions. We are eager to hear from Public Safety Commissioner Steven Paré, Police Chief Hugh Clements, Michael Imondi of the Providence Fraternal Order of Police, and Cedric Huntley of the Nonviolence Institute for their perspectives on what resources they need to stop these violent crimes and restore public safety in every Providence neighborhood.”
by Abigail Appel | Aug 7, 2021 | Press Release, Ward-7
Providence is a great city, with great people. Sadly, last night we experienced more violence and loss of life. We cannot allow violence to define our city. Our residents, business owners, and visitors need to feel safe. I am pledging to dedicate the full resources Police Chief Clements needs to restore the safety and security of our neighborhoods, including immediate support to get our new police academies up and running as quickly as possible, and community police officers out on the street. I will continue to work with the Chief to obtain additional public safety support through collaboration with local, state and federal programs and partners to help our police department protect our residents.
by Abigail Appel | Aug 6, 2021 | Press Release, Ward-7
On Thursday evening, the Providence Police Department arrested an individual in connection with the shameful attack on an innocent woman by a gang of ATV riders earlier this week.
I commend Colonel Hugh Clements and the officers of the Providence Police Department on their swift work to bring the individuals involved with this heinous incident to justice. The Police Department has my full support as they continue to work to identify and arrest the other criminals involved in this horrible assault.
There is no place in our city for anyone who wishes to bring harm onto others. Criminals in our city must know that we will harness all necessary resources to put a stop to this unacceptable behavior until residents can feel safe on our city streets again.
by Abigail Appel | Aug 5, 2021 | Press Release, Ward-7
Council President Igliozzi Letter To Governor McKee Requests Assistance From State Police To Help Providence Police Department In Stopping Violent Crime Wave Providence Is Currently Experiencing
Providence City Council President John Igliozzi has sent the letter below to Governor Dan McKee asking the Governor to deploy Rhode Island State Police troopers to assist the Providence Police Department in stopping the violent crime wave the City is currently experiencing:
August 5, 2021
The Honorable Governor Daniel McKee
Office of the Governor
82 Smith Street
Providence, RI 02903
Re: Deploying the Rhode Island State Police to Assist Providence
Dear Governor McKee:
I’m writing to you under deeply upsetting circumstances. As you know, the headlines regarding crime in the city of Providence over the last few weeks have been shocking—murders, drive-by shootings, stabbings, gang incidents, and roving throngs of ATV and dirt bike riders terrorizing our neighborhoods. Just last weekend, a 24-year-old woman was killed at random in a drive-by shooting. And on Tuesday, another young woman was pulled from her vehicle and assaulted by a mob of ATV and dirt bikers.
This wave of violent crime is unacceptable, and we need to act immediately to restore public safety and make our city’s residents once again feel safe walking and sitting outside in their own neighborhoods. Like the rest of Rhode Island, the capital city re-opened in recent months as the pandemic improved, and residents and visitors alike have resumed dining out, listening to live music, and patronizing our small businesses. The rampant violence we are experiencing threatens all of that; we need to ensure that Providence is welcoming and inviting for everyone who lives and visits here.
The Providence Police Department is doing everything it can to respond to this violent crime wave, and I have full faith in Police Chief Hugh Clements and the men and women of the force. Unfortunately, our police department is stretched thin, with only 400 police officers, down from the approximately 500 officers we had during the period Providence successfully implemented community policing—one of the main drivers behind the decline in violent crime in the city during the 2000s.
The City Council is working to restore the Providence Police Department back to 500 full-time officers, including funding for a new Police Academy which we approved in our FY 2022 budget. However, these efforts will take time to return the force to the level it should be, and Providence needs help now.
Governor, you have been kind enough to offer the help and support of the State to the people of Providence, to complement our police force with members of the Rhode Island State Police. Based on the recurring and heightening violent attacks in our city, I am respectfully requesting that the State Police be deployed in the appropriate fashion, in coordination with Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements, to help quell this surge in violence, and rebuild the public’s confidence in the safety of our city.
Please let me know the next steps to begin the process of working collaboratively with the State Police to make our city and our neighborhoods safe again.
Sincerely,
John J. Igliozzi
Council President
by Abigail Appel | Aug 5, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-4
I am appalled by the overwhelming surge of violence that has taken over our city. It has gotten to the point where everyday citizens do not feel safe walking on the street or even driving in their cars.
For years, I have been calling on the Mayoral administration and my council colleagues to support our police force. We must give the police the tools they need to keep our city safe, and we must fund another police academy as soon as possible.
Without a robust and well-prepared police force, who will residents call when they are they victims of or witnesses to the violent crimes constantly occurring in our city?
The City Council has instituted ordinances that are meant to keep ATVs off of our streets. The City must enforce these laws to finally remove these dangerous and illegal vehicles from the streets. The safety of drivers, pedestrians and innocent bystanders are seriously at risk. The City has the legal groundwork to put a stop to this, yet the problem persists because the laws are not enforced.
Providence residents should not be forced to live in constant fear of violence, crime and reckless behavior. I am calling on the City and my Council colleagues to join me in supporting the expansion of law enforcement by increasing our police force and more strictly enforcing City laws intended to keep residents safe.
How many more injuries, how many more violent crimes, how many more lives have to be lost, before change is made? We must act now.
by Abigail Appel | Aug 4, 2021 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5, Ward-7
Council President John J. Igliozzi: “The report of a mother being ripped from her car and attacked by a mob of ATV and dirt bike riders, while her young child was in the car, is deeply disturbing, and yet another example of the completely unacceptable wave of violent crime we have seen in our city in recent weeks. Incidents like this–a mother driving her car on a weeknight and being attacked at random–cut to the very core of public safety. Put simply, too many Providence residents do not feel safe as our city is experiencing this surge in violent crime.
“As Council President, I am committed to taking both immediate and longer-term actions to stop this crime wave in its tracks. I strongly support Governor McKee’s call to allow the Rhode Island State Police to coordinate with the Providence Police Department to provide additional resources and foot patrols. This should happen immediately.
“I agree with Councilman Salvatore’s call to hold a special session of the City Council to immediately begin to tackle this public safety emergency. I will be scheduling a special Council as a Whole meeting early next week to urgently address this unacceptable outbreak of violent crime. I look forward to hearing from Public Safety Commissioner Pare and Police Chief Clements on the action plan.
“Additionally, Finance Chairwoman Jo-Ann Ryan and I will work with our Council colleagues to include funding for an additional Police Academy in the 2022-23 budget. We must get our Providence Police force back to the 500 full-time officers needed to fully reimplement community policing. This must happen as quickly as possible, and that is why I am also calling on Mayor Elorza to immediately begin recruitment for the next Police Academy, which was approved in our most recent budget. We need more police on the streets, interacting with our residents, business owners, and community groups to prevent these types of horrific, random crimes.
“Finally, the City of Providence has over $100 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars available. I believe that it is appropriate to immediately develop a plan to use some of these funds for a significant investment in the public safety infrastructure and diversion efforts of our city.”
Finance Chairwoman Jo-Ann Ryan: “Last night’s attack on a motorist by individuals illegally riding ATVs on Providence streets is horrifying. I am once again calling on the Mayor to give the police department the resources it needs to enforce City ordinances and get these vehicles off our roads. The threat to public safety could not be more clear. Our residents are fearful and are being endangered and it is past the time for words; we need action from the administration. The mayor has to use all the tools we have at our disposal, which means full commitment to community policing and accepting the offer of assistance from the State Police.”
