West Side Residents Demand Action on Crime-Ridden House
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Kate Nagle, GoLocal News Editor
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17 Hudson Street
Residents on the West Side of Providence, including the West Broadway Neighborhood Association (WBNA), are calling for the city to act on house that has been a repeated scene of violent crime, including an episode this week.
On October 5, the WBNA met with city officials to discuss the property at 17 Hudson Street, which on Wednesday was the target of a drive-by shooting that has neighbors even more concerned and frustrated, after a triple shooting had occurred at the location in 2013, and reports of shots fired at the property took place as recently as this August.
“My general frustration is why can't something get done? I think that the WBNA and neighbors have done everything we can do,” said neighbor James Ruh. “Why can't the city step up and take appropriate action to keep us safe? They want to put nuisance stickers up — so what, they can shoot a hole through them? The police are doing all that they can, but the neighborhood is frustrated — I’m not sure if there's political will.”
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Former City Council President and Acting Mayor John Lombardi, who is currently a State Representative, attended the last WBNA meeting, and said the city "needs to do something."
“Look, it’s not my district, but I know it well. This has been going on for 20 years," said Lombardi. "The city needs to take action, and seize the property. There needs to be some intestinal fortitude here."
Neighborhood Concerns
At the Octobr 5 WBNA meeting, Councilman Bryan Principe, District 4 Police Commander Lt. Fernandes and Assistant City Solicitor Noah Kilroy and members of the the Nuisance Task Force (NTF) said that they met with the homeowner of 17 Hudson Street, and that the owner was put on notice that the house would be stickered, and any subsequent nuisance activity would necessitate a $500 fine each time the police are called to the property.
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The location is close to the Cranston Street Armory.
According to city tax records, the property owners are Vanna Em and Peth Chhouer, who reside in Malden, Massachusetts. The phone number for the Malden address is unlisted.
WBNA Executive Director Kari Lange spoke to the difficulty of addressing the situation, which she says had been going on for years.
“This has been a twenty year problem, and it’s not an easy problem,” said Lange. "When I first came on with WBNA in the mid-1990s, a neighbor across the street [from 17 Hudson Street] had a new baby, there'd been a shooting, and they left. Then the house quiets down for a while, and then something happens. We've had great police response -- it's not like it's been ignored, this is a disturbing pattern and not an easy thing to solve. Everyone wants to be safe, and deserves to be safe. And we don’t feel safe.”
Ruh spoke to neighborhood crime reports, including a shooting in August and a report from a concerned neighbor — two and a half years ago, on August 14, 2013.
"My husband, myself and my kids have lived on this area of Hudson St near the park for almost 13 years now. There is a history of gang related violence ,including 2 other shootings, directed at this same house, 17 Hudson St. There has also been very loud music coming from the house as late as 3AM. We met repeatedly at WBNA with police, city council, AG representative and finally with someone from the gang task-force at the time.”
City Response
The Mayor's office provided the following statement from Assistant City Solicitor Noah Kilroy, Staff Attorney for the Nuisance Task Force:
The Nuisance Task Force is assisting in this matter and we had productive conversations WBNA leadership following this latest incident.
This property currently has an ‘orange sticker’ designation and Solicitor’s Office is working closely with Lt. Fernandes from the Providence Police Department to identify strategies to address these concerns.
I look forward to representing the Solicitor’s Office at the WBNA meeting on Tuesday to provide information and assistance as appropriate.
Related Slideshow: Most Violent Cities and Towns in RI According to the FBI
Below are 38 cities and towns of Rhode Island ranked by violent crime, according to data by the FBI. Exeter is not included in the list because it is part of the RI State Police jurisdiction.
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#38 Little Compton
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0
2013 Violent Crimes: 0
2013 Population: 3,474
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 0
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 0
Interesting fact from the data: Little Compton only recorded 26 property crimes in the entire year.
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#37 Jamestown
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.184
2013 Violent Crimes: 1
2013 Population: 5,442
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 1
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 0
Interesting fact from the data: In 2013, Jamestown had 5 recorded burglaries.
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#36 Barrington
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.184
2013 Violent Crimes: 3
2013 Population: 16,286
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 1
Robbery: 1
Aggravated Assaults: 1
Interesting fact from the data: Barrington had 1 recorded arson in the entire year.
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#35 Scituate
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.287
2013 Violent Crimes: 3
2013 Population: 10,443
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 1
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 2
Interesting fact from the data: In 2013, Scituate had 37 recorded cases of larceny-theft.
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#34 Glocester
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.304
2013 Violent Crimes: 3
2013 Population: 9,858
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 1
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 2
Interesting fact from the data: Glocester only recorded 49 property crimes in the entire year.
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#33 East Greenwich
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.458
2013 Violent Crimes: 6
2013 Population: 13,104
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 1
Robbery: 3
Aggravated Assaults: 2
Interesting fact from the data: East Greenwich had 2 recorded motor vehicle thefts.
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#32 Bristol
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.496
2013 Violent Crimes: 11
2013 Population: 22,160
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 6
Robbery: 2
Aggravated Assaults: 3
Interesting fact from the data: In 2013, Bristol had 34 recorded burglaries.
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#31 Portsmouth
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.520
2013 Violent Crimes: 9
2013 Population: 17,300
Murder: 1
Forcible Rape: 1
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 7
Interesting fact from the data: Portsmouth had 210 recorded property crimes in 2013.
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#30 Hopkinton
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.616
2013 Violent Crimes: 5
2013 Population: 8,112
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 2
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 3
Interesting fact from the data: 84 cases larceny-theft were recorded for the entire year.
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#29 Foster
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.644
2013 Violent Crimes: 3
2013 Population: 4,660
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 0
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 3
Interesting fact from the data: In 2013, Foster had 0 cases of arson.
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#28 Richmond
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.658
2013 Violent Crimes: 5
2013 Population: 7,598
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 1
Robbery: 1
Aggravated Assaults: 3
Interesting fact from the data: Richmond had 4 recorded motor vehicle thefts.
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#27 South Kingstown
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.693
2013 Violent Crimes: 21
2013 Population: 30,309
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 7
Robbery: 2
Aggravated Assaults: 12
Interesting fact from the data: In 2013, South Kingstown had 297 recorded property crimes.
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#26 Narragansett
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.702
2013 Violent Crimes: 11
2013 Population: 15,668
Murder: 1
Forcible Rape: 3
Robbery: 1
Aggravated Assaults: 6
Interesting fact from the data: 164 larceny-thefts were recorded in Narragansett in 2013.
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#25 Smithfield
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.745
2013 Violent Crimes: 16
2013 Population: 21,490
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 0
Robbery: 2
Aggravated Assaults: 14
Interesting fact from the data: Only 3 arsons were recorded in Smithfield for the entire year.
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#24 Middletown
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.873
2013 Violent Crimes: 14
2013 Population: 16,037
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 8
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 6
Interesting fact from the data: In Middletwon, 11 motor vehicle thefts were recorded.
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#23 Coventry
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.886
2013 Violent Crimes: 31
2013 Population: 34,971
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 8
Robbery: 2
Aggravated Assaults: 21
Interesting fact from the data: 99 burglaries were recorded in Coventry.
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#22 Johnston
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.894
2013 Violent Crimes: 26
2013 Population: 29,068
Murder: 2
Forcible Rape: 8
Robbery: 4
Aggravated Assaults: 12
Interesting fact from the data: 564 property crimes were recorded in Johnston in 2013.
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#21 North Kingstown
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 0.956
2013 Violent Crimes: 25
2013 Population: 26,156
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 3
Robbery: 4
Aggravated Assaults: 18
Interesting fact from the data: In North Kingstown, only 5 arsons were recorded.
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#20 Charlestown
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.03
2013 Violent Crimes: 8
2013 Population: 7,770
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 2
Robbery: 2
Aggravated Assaults: 4
Interesting fact from the data: 1 motor vehicle theft was recorded in Charlestown .
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#19 Lincoln
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.031
2013 Violent Crimes: 22
2013 Population: 21,334
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 2
Robbery: 7
Aggravated Assaults: 13
Interesting fact from the data: 461 property crimes were recorded in Lincoln.
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#18 Cumberland
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.058
2013 Violent Crimes: 36
2013 Population: 34,028
Murder: 1
Forcible Rape: 3
Robbery: 10
Aggravated Assaults: 22
Interesting fact from the data: In Cumberland, 322 larceny-thefts were recorded for 2013.
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#17 Westerly
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.061
2013 Violent Crimes: 24
2013 Population: 22,629
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 9
Robbery: 2
Aggravated Assaults: 13
Interesting fact from the data: A total of 74 recorded burglaries were recorded in Westerly .
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#16 Warren
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.137
2013 Violent Crimes: 12
2013 Population: 10,557
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 3
Robbery: 4
Aggravated Assaults: 5
Interesting fact from the data: 14 motor vehicle thefts were recorded in Warren.
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#15 Warwick
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.137
2013 Violent Crimes: 93
2013 Population: 81,789
Murder: 4
Forcible Rape: 35
Robbery: 15
Aggravated Assaults: 39
Interesting fact from the data: In 2013, 2,015 property crimes were recorded in Warwick.
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#14 West Greenwich
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.150
2013 Violent Crimes: 7
2013 Population: 6,085
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 3
Robbery: 1
Aggravated Assaults: 3
Interesting fact from the data: In West Greenwich, recorded motor vehicle thefts were double the number of arsons recorded in 2013.
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#13 North Smithfield
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.153
2013 Violent Crimes: 14
2013 Population: 12,138
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 3
Robbery: 3
Aggravated Assaults: 8
Interesting fact from the data: There were 0 recorded arsons in North Smithfield in 2013.
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#12 Burrillville
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.239
2013 Violent Crimes: 20
2013 Population: 16,141
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 7
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 13
Interesting fact from the data: Only 7 motor vehicle thefts were recorded in Burriville in 2013.
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#11 East Providence
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.271
2013 Violent Crimes: 60
2013 Population: 47,200
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 12
Robbery: 16
Aggravated Assaults: 32
Interesting fact from the data: 531 larceny-thefts were recorded in East Providence.
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#10 Tiverton
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.330
2013 Violent Crimes: 21
2013 Population: 15,792
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 5
Robbery: 5
Aggravated Assaults: 11
Interesting fact from the data: Tiverton had 0 arsons recorded.
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#9 North Providence
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.458
2013 Violent Crimes: 47
2013 Population: 32,234
Murder: 2
Forcible Rape: 10
Robbery: 7
Aggravated Assaults: 28
Interesting fact from the data: 338 larceny-thefts were recorded in North Providence in 2013.
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#8 Cranston
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.871
2013 Violent Crimes: 151
2013 Population: 80,718
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 29
Robbery: 42
Aggravated Assaultss: 80
Interesting fact from the data: In 2013, 1,755 property crimes were recorded in Cranston.
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#7 West Warwick
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 1.874
2013 Violent Crimes: 54
2013 Population: 28,817
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 23
Robbery: 12
Aggravated Assaults: 19
Interesting fact from the data: In West Warwick, 24 motor vehicle thefts were recorded.
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#6 New Shoreham
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 2.885
2013 Violent Crimes: 3
2013 Population: 1,040
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 0
Robbery: 0
Aggravated Assaults: 3
Interesting fact from the data: Only 14 larceny-thefts were recorded in New Shoreham in 2013.
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#5 Pawtucket
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 3.913
2013 Violent Crimes: 279
2013 Population: 71,305
Murder: 5
Forcible Rape: 44
Robbery: 71
Aggravated Assaults: 159
Interesting fact from the data: 2,322 property crimes were recorded in Pawtucket.
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#4 Newport
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 4.649
2013 Violent Crimes: 111
2013 Population: 23,874
Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 19
Robbery: 12
Aggravated Assaults: 80
Interesting fact from the data: Newport had 17 arsons in 2013 recorded.
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#3 Woonsocket
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 5.870
2013 Violent Crimes: 241
2013 Population: 41,057
Murder: 1
Forcible Rape: 41
Robbery: 48
Aggravated Assaults: 151
Interesting fact from the data: 87 motor vehicle thefts were recorded in Woonsocket in 2013.
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#2 Providence
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 6.233
2013 Violent Crimes: 1,115
2013 Population: 178,887
Murder: 12
Forcible Rape: 97
Robbery: 365
Aggravated Assaults: 641
Interesting fact from the data: Providence had more property crimes than any other city and town in RI in 2013.
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#1 Central Falls
Violent Crime Per 1000 residents: 6.751
2013 Violent Crimes: 131
2013 Population: 19,404
Murder: 2
Forcible Rape: 9
Robbery: 34
Aggravated Assaults: 86
Interesting fact from the data: 12 arsons were recorded in Central Falls in 2013.
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