East Side of Providence Rocked by Crime
Friday, December 12, 2014
Property crime has seen an uptick on the East Side of Providence in recent months, and residents have been voicing their concerns -- and how to address the issue.
Slides: See Recent Property Crime Locations on East Side BELOW
"I looked up the Police Department’s crime data, and found there is data to support a finding of an “uptick” of property crime on the East Side over the last couple of months," said Providence City Councilman Sam Zurier. "As you can see from the maps, most of the East Side is in Districts 8 and 9. If you look at the reports for property crime at the end of the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2014, property crime in Districts 8 and 9 was down around 20%, but the year-to-date total was around “break even” by the end of the third quarter and is now at “break even” for District 8 but +22% for District 9."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTCheryl Simmons, who runs a crime watch listserv on the East Said she has seen increased activity in recent months -- and property crime in particular.
"There's been a noticeable increase in residents requesting to get on my crime alert listserv, and despite the busy season, over 40 people turned out for a meeting on crime and safety last week," said Simmons. "Within the last two weeks, I've also been contacted by Brown students and some local high school students who are concerned about the issue and are writing papers or doing class projects on it."
"I personally feel that we need more police presence in the area. Six cars are designated to patrol the East Side every night, but if those cars are needed for an emergency elsewhere in the city, that number can go down as low as four," said Simmons. "The officers we have are doing an excellent job, but there are simply not enough of them to keep up with the crime level. This is a city-wide problem."
Mayor-elect Elorza did not respond to request for comment on the current issue of crime on the East side.
Community Approach
Zurier noted that Monica Anderson, Chair of the Summit Avenue neighborhood crime watch on the East Side, was someone who "knew about the issue, and how to address neighborhood crimewatch."
"I think the East Side is as concerned as any community about their quality of life and the incidence of crime," said Anderson. "The concern has always been there."
"Crime statistics for this part of the City of Providence are relatively low, although if you look closely at the trends over the years there are spikes around the holidays with car breaks, thefts of packages, etc. This is where a Crime Watch can be very useful. A crime watch partners with the police to help protect their community. The police simply cannot be everywhere at every moment," said Anderson.
"Crime Watches educate about how to protect neighbors from being victims of these crimes plus provides a directive for what to do if you see or suspect criminal activity," continued Anderson. "Crime Watch encourages residents to be aware of their community, and their neighbors. It empowers them to do what they can, within the limitations of the law, to deter, stop and report crime on their own behalf."
Alison Spooner, who had until recently been at the helm of the College Hill Neighborhood Association, noted the particular property theft issues facing the area, and what residents should to do protect themselves from theft.
"I would offer that there is a heightened concern about recent crime and thefts and it is definitely valid with the holiday season approaching," said Spooner. "Cheryl Simmons' list serve notifications make residents more aware of crime that is taking place on the East Side and I believe it does heighten awareness of criminal activity. There are opportunities presented consistently to the criminal element on the East Side - residents leave items in cars, cars are left unlocked, homes are not fully secured, etc. Criminals are well aware of these opportunities and act on them accordingly. I'd like to think the notifications on Cheryl's list serve spur residents to take more proactive measures when it comes to crime prevention."
Spooner noted that residents during the holiday season should take extra precautions sercuring belongings.
"Residents truly need to ensure that packages are delivered to placement at the home that is out of sight if they are not going to be at home during delivery hours, require a signature or have packages delivered to a work address," offered Spooner.
Looking Ahead
"I spoke with Lieutenant Ryan [Thursday] morning, and he said they recently arrested a major actor in the neighborhood which ought to reduce the numbers going forward, along with the additional officers who are coming online from the Police Academy graduation," noted Zurier.
Anderson offered her advice on approaches to crime watch -- and advocates for a "block-by-block" strategy.
"In Summit we have a few dedicated Block Captains that organize and educate their blocks on how to protect their homes, properties and persons. Essentially, these are mini crime watch groups. In Summit our crime watch is loosely connected through Block Captains who are quietly organizing and educating their areas. We have one or two meetings a year depending on the demand. Our crime watch is not centralized or organized in the way one might think of a typical crime watch. There is so much more that could be accomplished if we had more block captains. Even in our very technologically connected world, neighbors sometimes don’t even know each other and there’s a disenfranchisement from larger community efforts," said Anderson.
"In most instances, Block Captains usually emerge after a crime has happened to them," said Spooner. "In fairness, I think the business of everyone’s lives precludes a person from the initial uptake of organizing a block or a few streets. Although the work to accomplish this task is not difficult, it feels timely. It’s really not that timely, but the perception is the problem.
Related Slideshow: Thefts on East Side from November 26 to December 10
Here are the larceny thefts that took place on the east side of Providence from November 26 to December 10 as reported by the Providence Police.
For more information, or to view other crimes, visit their website.
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