A Call for Return to Community Policing

Council President Igliozzi and Councilwoman Ryan Support Funding for Training New Recruits

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PROVIDENCE, RI – In response to a wave of serious violent crime incidents in recent weeks, City Council President John Igliozzi joined by Councilwoman and Finance Chair Jo-Ann Ryan are calling for a return to community policing in the City of Providence. In order to accomplish that goal, they are also calling for sustained investments in new, diverse Providence Police Academies to bring the City’s police force back to full strength to enable community policing in every neighborhood.

“The brazen violence we have seen over the last few weeks is shocking and unacceptable,” said Councilwoman and Finance Chair Jo-Ann Ryan. “Public safety is more than just crime statistics, it’s about whether our City residents feel safe, and right now too many residents in my ward say they are concerned about violence impacting their neighborhood. We cannot allow this to continue. Public safety and residents feeling safe in their own community is at the core of any great City, and that’s why we must act now. The City Council stepped up to the plate in our FY 2022 budget by funding a new Providence Police Academy, but it is becoming clear that we must continue to replenish the ranks of the Providence Police Department. That is why I fully support Council President Igliozzi’s call for another Police Academy to be included in the next City budget and a return to community policing in earnest.