GoLocal Presses Providence Police Chief Perez on Smiley Press Policy, ACLU Criticizes Restrictions
Thursday, July 20, 2023
On Wednesday afternoon, GoLocal pressed Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez on Mayor Brett Smiley’s policy of limiting direct access to the Chief.
On Tuesday, GoLocal reported that for the first time in at least 30 years, the Mayor’s office was requiring press calls to be routed through public relations staff.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe policy was a break from Mayors John Lombardi, David Cicilline, Angel Taveras, and Jorge Elorza.
The Smiley administration defends the new policy.
"If press members reach out to the Chief, he is going to send the inquiry to Lindsay and I to field, so it would be helpful to just loop us in from the beginning. This is also how we field requests that are directed at the Mayor or department directors, and our goal in both circumstances is to ensure you get holistic and timely answers," said Patricia Socarras, Director of Communications for Smiley.
The new Smiley policy drew criticism from Steve Brown at the Rhode Island ACLU.
"A person who has been given the trust of running a major city police department should also be trusted to speak to the public on matters under their jurisdiction. By requiring the media to go through a bureaucratic gauntlet instead of being able to talk to the person who may have the best background and firsthand knowledge of an issue or situation, the public’s right to know is unnecessarily delayed and diminished,” said Brown.
On Wednesday at the Providence Public Safety, Perez responded to questions from GoLocal.
COMMUNICATIONS
"I have not gotten an order not to speak to the media. The City of Providence is extremely busy," said Perez.
"We have a policy in place — we have a PIO (Public Information Officer) that works for the Providence Police Department and Public Safety. There are many times where I can’t respond, so I relay them to the PIO," he added.
Perez defended referring GoLocal to the Mayor’s office, when GoLocal had contacted Perez regarding the confiscation of illegal ATVs on Thayer Street earlier in July.
“Our PIO was not working that night, and I was not in a position to respond. That’s what I sent the text,” said Perez of referring GoLocal to the Mayor’s office.
“I’m not going to promise something I can’t deliver,” said Perez when asked if he would respond directly to the press.
OVERTIME
In recent months, Providence Police overtime has been spiking since Smiley came into office. Perez refused to say if it was at a record level.
Providence Police staffing has fallen to record-low levels and is currently at fewer than 420 officers. Historically, full staffing has been 500.
"Nationwide, it’s challenging for recruiting; it’s challenging for staffing. We’re graduating a class on August 19, and we’re looking forward to that," said Perez.
"It’s challenging…but it’s not the first time a police department has faced a staffing issue," he added. "The City of Providence is safe. It’s not Oscar Perez, it’s not the command staff, it’s the men and women that wear this uniform proudly on a daily basis."
When asked if the department is at a record callback level, Perez said the following.
“It’s busy. We’re short-staffed. Because of that…yes, overtime and call back have increased. I’m proactively thinking of how to make sure the city is safe and to make sure I have the right staffing," he said.
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