Providence Clubs Plagued by Violence and Drugs
Monday, August 22, 2016
Providence's nightlife is under scrutiny once again following a number of recent incidents. Photo: Flickr/MWalshHome
SLIDES: See Recent Episodes of Crime, Violence at Providence Clubs BELOW
A purported stabbing outside of Van Gogh lounge came just hours after a cocaine sting at Tel Aviv Lounge - and on the heels of incidents at Flow as well as The Vault, which is in the building formerly co-owned by Congressman David Cicilline, and now solely owned by his brother, which saw those clubs closed for several days and then ordered to have police detail for a limited number of weekend, and reopened.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWhile some are lauding the actions of the City of Providence's Board of Licenses, others are critical.
"Obviously, when incidents include those types of violence in the city, it brings greater attention to the nightlife in our capital city," said Board of License Chair, State Senator Juan Pichardo. "Some of them are isolated incidents, and at the same time some of them are still going through the process of the police investigation and bringing information forth to the board. In a lot of cases there's not yet been fact finding or conclusion."
Board member Johanna Harris - who previously chaired the board - took issue with what she said was the leniency of the board, however.
"There are two major issues. This is a board which is void of leadership, function, standards, or analysis. The city works out deals, and [Pichardo] says they're fine," said Harris. "The punishments for the last six or seven incidents, there’s been an enormous amount of violence and clubs only get a slap on the wrist. This is what you get."
Recent Episodes
Van Gogh took to FB following the incident this weekend to assure patrons it would be reopening soon.
And following the reported quadruple stabbing outside of Flow, the city is slated to drop the incident from the club's history, so that it won't count against the establishment, should another episode occur.
Of the incident on August 8, Providence Police Patrolman Fedo reported," [The officer] exited the vehicle and learned that three of the subjects had been stabbed during a large fight while exiting Flow nightclub."
"We were supposed to see video of the incident this week, we didn't. We were supposed to hear from another witness - a victim - this week, we didn't," said Sharon Steele, the President of the Providence Jewelry District Association who attends almost all Board of Licenses meetings, of the continued show-cause hearing for Flow last Wednesday. "The city and the club cut a deal in the hallway and came in and said the club would bear no responsibility for what happened."
"The biggest travesty is a witness was supposed to testify and they released him," said Steele. "So we didn't have a witness, no detective, and allowed the club to say it was purely a disturbance of the public but it wasn't a stabbing. "
Related Slideshow: Providence Clubs and Reports of Crime and Violence - 2016
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