INVESTIGATION: Providence’s Most Dangerous Neighborhoods

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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Dan McGowan, GoLocalProv News Editor

Providence police filed assault, burglary, homicide, robbery or sexual assault reports at least six times per day in ten capital city neighborhoods last year, according to a GoLocalProv review of police reports provided by the Public Safety Department.

The total number across the city was 3,750 – over ten reports per day – with the neighborhoods suffering from the highest poverty rates disproportionately having the most criminal reports in 2011. In fact, eight of the city’s 25 neighborhoods were responsible for more than half of all reports filed last year.

By far the most crime reports were filed in the West End, which makes up part of the South Side near Cranston Street. In total, 349 reports were filed in the neighborhood in 2011 – 105 more than any other neighborhood – including 71 assaults, 207 burglaries, 54 robberies and 16 sexual assaults. Of the city’s 13 murders, one took place in the West End.

For Providence Councilman Davian Sanchez (Ward 11), who represents parts of the West End and Elmwood –the two neighborhoods with the most crime reports – the numbers are unacceptable. Sanchez said he has a called a March community meeting with Police Chief Hugh Clements and Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare to discuss ways to address the crime rate in his neighborhoods.

“I'm very concerned about the crime that's going on in Ward 11,” Sanchez said. “Once I saw the amount of crime in the Ward, I decided to meet with my ward committee to set up a community meeting with the Chief of Police and the Public Safety Commissioner.”

“It Just Feels Unsafe”

According to the data, the West End, Downtown and Lower South Providence made up for 196 of the city’s 649 assault reports during the year. The West End, Mount Pleasant and Wanskuck led the way in burglaries with 538 combined reports. Federal Hill, Silver Lake and Elmwood each had two homicides. The West End, Elmwood and Olneyville made up for more than 25 percent of the total robberies while Upper South Providence, the West End and Silver Lake had the most sexual assaults.

The striking numbers have residents on alert. According to Lali Alvarez, a mother of two in Mount Pleasant, it has been evident for over a year now that her streets have become less safe. She said she tries to keep her young sons inside as often as possible because she doesn’t trust some of her neighbors who “hang out in the streets too much.”

“I don’t know about all the numbers, but it just kind of feels unsafe to be here right now,” she said. “There are more people on the streets doing bad thing and the kids see that. I don’t want to keep them inside all the time, but it doesn’t feel safe out there right now.”

Alvarez’s live-in boyfriend, Chris Garcia, said he moved to the neighborhood from the West End and now sees less of a police presence in the Valley/Mount Pleasant areas than he ever did on the South Side.

“We don’t see no police officers around here no more,” he said. “I don’t know where they are because these streets are getting bad. Look at the spray paint and all the shootings. I wonder where the police are.”

Mayor Taveras: Any Crime is Too Much

The crime numbers have also caught the attention of Mayor Angel Taveras. During his State of the City address last week, Taveras said he is committed to working with Clements and Pare to improve public safety across the city.

“As we proceed forward, we also remain mindful that too often our residents witness and fall victim to violence,” Taveras said. “We must and we will move forward with that same “fierce urgency” to make our city safer and more livable. We will continue to work with community partners to improve public safety in every neighborhood. I am confident that we can look ahead to a safer Providence under the leadership of Commissioner Pare and our new Police Chief Hugh Clements.”

During a wide-ranging interview with GoLocalProv in December –less than a month after a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed in his home – Taveras called it an ongoing challenge and battle to address and prevent crime. He said he is confident in the city’s police force but also said he understands the community’s concern.

“Any crime is too much crime," Taveras said at the time. “When you have stories that are as tragic as a 21-year-old mother of a 6-year-old being shot and killed while driving a car. You have a 14-year-old in his home being shot, it touches people. So that’s a very big issue.”

“The City is Safe”

Still, there are concerns that the city’s staggering financial crisis could be getting in the way of public safety. Providence faces a $22.5 million deficit in the current fiscal year and overspending in the public safety department – mostly on the fire side – has been criticized.

City Council President Michael Solomon said the Council is making sure that while it works to address the city’s finances, the public's safety is not compromised.

“Throughout this fiscal crisis the Council has worked to ensure that public safety, along with other city services which affect quality of life issues for our residents, would not be marginalized,” he said. “The safety of our residents is a top priority, and I will work to ensure that we will continue to protect these vital city services - no matter the fiscal stress placed upon our City.”

In the December interview, Taveras pledged to continue to work with the police and community organizations to help address the city’s crime problems. But he said he was still confident that Providence is a safe place to live.

“The city is safe. But we will always work to make it safer. And that’s the bottom line,” Taveras said. “Is it safe? Yes. But could it be safer? Yes. And we will always work to make it as safe as possible. We’ve worked very hard not only with the police department to address this, but also with the Institute of Nonviolence and I’ve also reached out to our community. I think we all have a role to play in this. All of us have a role to play in making our community as safe as possible.”

 

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