EDITORIAL: Bring RI State Police to Providence to Take on ATVs

EDITORIAL: Bring RI State Police to Providence to Take on ATVs

Providence is under siege and the Providence Police — understaffed by 100 — can’t possibly address the number of calls for help and overcome the limitations placed on the force by Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare alone.

Presently, Providence is a terribly violent place.

In 2015, GoLocal began reporting on the ATV crisis. Back then, Council members were urging Pare to take action against the illegal bikes.

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In 2017, GoLocal broke the horrific story of a mother who lived on the East Side of Providence.

At the time, Cristina Moody, who posted her own account to social media of a terrible incident, spoke with GoLocal following the incident. 

"I was driving close Wayland [Square], when all of a sudden there was a huge crowd of bikes that came out of nowhere," said Moody. "They were in the left lane as I was in the right.  There were all different kinds -- four-wheelers, those real tall dirt bike ones, as well as the street racing kind."

"So I was going to turn onto the Square. They were to my left, but they were crossing me as I was trying to turn. It was a dangerous turn for them, and I could have hit them if I wasn't cautious," said Moody. "So they started to put their breaks on deliberately in front of me, so at this moment, they kept going and going -- and there were tons of them.  I know some people said 25 or 30, but I saw close to 50."

Moody, who had her children in her car with her, said she started to feel threatened. 

"I'm frantic. There's tons just crowding around, I'm beeping the horn because of the hold-up, and I'm on the phone with the police now," said Moody. "When I was able to get away I took a left on Laurel [Avenue]. There were a bunch of bikes that went another way, but two or three stayed and cornered me. A tall [man] on a dirt bike was next to my window as I was on the phone. I couldn't tell the police even where I was exactly, with one next to me, one in front of the car. What if they pulled out a gun?"

"What was I to do in this situation? He was yelling at me and making scary faces. I had my two-year-old and one-year-old in the car. I was trapped," said Moody. "Eventually they went -- and the police finally said they'd send someone over, but I was scared and I drove away from that area.  I went down a side road. I was shaking -- I needed to stop and calm down."

Moody said she was still distraught following what had taken place. 

"Every time I hear a bike, I imagine them near my house -- did they get my plate?  Were they coming to find me?  I'm really shaken by it," said Moody.  "How is the city going to protect us from these bikers, that I believe are terrorizing the neighborhood?  In the case of them forcing cars to stop on the side of the road, and blocking them -- isn't that terror?"

"It didn't seem like they were just going out for a 'ride,'" said Moody. "They were doing this deliberately in a residential neighborhood."

And according to Providence Police in 2017, they were ordered not to engage the illegal bikers.

And, since then the problem has only increased.

It hit one of its lowest points when a car was surrounded by ATV and motorbike riders on Tuesday night, who dragged the female driver from her car and beat her -- with her friend's young child in the car.

Governor Dan McKee has offered the support of the Rhode Island State Police to address the violence in Providence. Elorza, who is on vacation, has repeatedly refused to respond to the Governor's offer.

It would be beneficial to the safety of Providence residents if State Police Colonel Jim Manni and Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements got together and developed a plan for the State Police to take on the illegal ATVs. We will all be safer.