The Community Safety Act is Fundamentally Flawed: Guest MINDSETTER™ Jim Wright
Monday, May 01, 2017
I was hesitant to write this, because, honestly, I am on the fence with regards to the firestorm of late in the city of Providence. However, I believe I'm uniquely qualified to add my voice to this cacophony. I moved to Providence in the 1990's, and lived in South Providence with my young family until 2014.
Providence has had it's share of colorful Mayors, and I'm delighted to discover that Jorge Elorza is no different. I've never been a supporter of Mayor Elorza. I think he's a genuinely good person, and I sincerely believe that, in his heart, he is driven by his ideals and beliefs. I applaud his defiance of the insane immigration policies of Grandmaster Sessions and Supreme Leader Trump. That being said, I think he's lost his mind with this Municipal ID nonsense.
My job has brought me to quite a few cities. Chicago, Boston, NYC, Newark, Miami, Reno, Las Vegas... and my opinion is that, clearly, crime is more prevalent in a city environment than a suburban or rural area. I don't think it's especially rampant in Providence. I think people need to exercise a modicum of common sense while navigating though a city environment. Providence boasts some of the most prestigious College campuses in the United States. Although I'm quite certain that the students these Colleges accept possess the intelligence to master their curriculum, I'm not sure their orientation booklets sufficiently prepare them for Friday night at Whiskey Republic.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWhen I lived in South Providence, I, undoubtedly, witnessed more crime than I do in the suburban Massachusetts community I currently reside in. Also, I would have to agree that the police officers I observed in South Providence had a tendency to be more aggressive than their counterparts in other districts. The reason for this was twofold. In my opinion, Chief Clements rightly chose to assign younger, more athletic officers to South Providence, and, quite frankly, a markedly different brand of law enforcement in necessary in Ward 10 and 11.
Does that make sense?
Look, nutshell... when you live in the inner city, you need to act accordingly. This isn't rural Iowa where you graduated valedictorian and won your scholarship to Brown, THIS IS A CITY! Don't take $200 cash out of the ATM at 2am on Friday night and then walk across Point Street bridge by yourself. Providence is a small and vibrant city, but it is a CITY! Obviously, if you're the victim of a crime, report the crime as you would anywhere else. I found that during my extensive experiences in virtually every corner of Providence was that if you remained vigilant and kept to yourself, you would be fine.
I had a poor opinion of Providence before I moved there. When I moved to Providence in the late 90s, I was prepared for anything. As a touring musician in my teens and early twenties, I had worked in many cities Worldwide, so the urban environment didn't bother me. That being said, I was told that Providence was rougher and more intense than what I was accustomed to. Honestly, that couldn't be further from the truth. I found Providence to be the most artistically friendly, welcoming and eclectic place I had ever been. As a performer, I worked at numerous venues in the city without incident. As a promoter, I saw every aspect of Providence nightlife including afterhours in Olneyville, and I have nothing but fond memories.
Listen, are there violent crimes in Providence? Of course...
Now, to address the current issues. The Community Safety Act is fundamentally flawed. Are there certain police officers that abuse their power and overstep their bounds? Of course. That's true in any municipality. However, to bind their hands in this way is irresponsible. Add to this Mayor Elorza's recent rhetoric, and I'm truly terrified. Apparently, Jorge envisions a magical, fairy land in which illegal immigrants, the homeless, and non specific gendered individuals, and youngsters who need bank accounts can come together and display their civic pride as well as mislead law enforcement. Wait... John Smith raped that girl? Sorry, I'm Jane Smith.
We have some real, honest to God, battles to fight in this country. I find exactly none of them in this argument. There are good cops, and there are bad cops. Just like there are good Kindergarten teachers and there are bad ones. Let the system do it's job. Internal affairs is there for a reason. Our law enforcement officers already do a thankless and difficult job, let's not make it impossible.
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