Smiley Slams Morales on Defund the Police Stance in Video Ad

Smiley Slams Morales on Defund the Police Stance in Video Ad

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and primary challenger State Representative David Morales are locked in what is believed to be a close battle in the Democratic primary for mayor.

 

Smiley’s campaign released a blistering attack on Morales in his new video ad.

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“‘Turn Back.’ The 30-second ad, which will be featured across broadcast, cable, and digital channels over the coming weeks, highlights the Mayor’s strong record on public safety during his first term: addressing the rampant ATV issue, reducing homicides to historic lows, and bringing violent crime to its lowest level in 35 years,” said the Smiley campaign.

 

 

The Smiley campaign highlights Morale’s statements:

 

Morales’ statements include, in his own words:

• "We're gonna fight to keep our tax dollars away from [Providence Police] to ensure that we don't continue to fund these places of brutality."
• "Time and time again, Providence Police are continuing to demonstrate and show us without shame that they do not care for our communities."
• "Providence is the place where law enforcement officials come to have fun at our expense."
• "We will not be intimidated by the criminals behind those [police station] doors, those criminals with the badges."

 

"The most important job a mayor has is keeping our community safe, and I'm proud that our investments in community policing, our success in hiring and training new officers who better represent our city, and our commitment to focusing police efforts on violent crime while dedicating other public health resources to nonviolent offenses has yielded results,” said Smiley.

 

“Meanwhile, my opponent has called our police officers 'criminals' and said they come here to ‘have fun.’ Someone who holds those beliefs should not be managing the state's largest municipal police force. I have seen firsthand how these officers put their lives on the line every day to protect the people of Providence, and in our darkest moments, they have kept us safe. We cannot afford to go backward when it comes to crime in our Capital City,” added Smiley in a statement.