UPDATED: Providence Police Union Votes "No Confidence" in Elorza and Pare
GoLocalProv News Team
UPDATED: Providence Police Union Votes "No Confidence" in Elorza and Pare
The vote further elevates the ongoing frustration and issues relating to the Providence Police.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThis week alone, there has been more than ten hours of testimony calling for cuts to the police budget.
“The results of these votes overwhelmingly show the lack of confidence which the Providence FOP and the men and women of the Providence Police Department have in Commissioner Pare and Mayor Elorza, and show the obvious frustration and sense of betrayal felt by these men and women of the Police Department due to the June 6, 2020, public statements made by Mayor Elorza and Council President Matos which prematurely and, as we now know, falsely accused two of our Police Officers of misconduct in the incident with a Providence Firefighter,” said the FOP in their statement.
More than a week ago, Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare held a press briefing and placed all of the blame for the controversial incident between two police officers and a firefighter on the police. Pare said that there are "training issues" that need to be addressed in the Police Department after an officer failed to turn on his body camera in an incident between police and a firefighter that the latter called racist.
In a press event held on Zoom broadcast on GoLocal LIVE, Pare addressed the sequence of events that led to Terrell Paci, a Providence firefighter, alleging that he was racially profiled by Providence Police and that officers held their guns on him despite him being in uniform and in a car in front of a fire station on Messer Street.
The FOP results:
Vote of No Confidence in Commissioner Steven Pare:
385 Votes in favor of “No Confidence”
10 Votes against “No Confidence”
Vote of No Confidence in Mayor Jorge Elorza:
382 Votes in favor of “No Confidence”
13 Votes against “No Confidence”
The FOP also voted to condemn the June 6, 2020, public statements made by Elorza and City Council President Sabina Matos which the FOP claims were "unjustifiable and falsely accused two of our Police Officers of misconduct in the incident with a Providence Firefighter.”
In addition, the FOP:
Vote condemning the public statement made by 380 Votes condemning the Statement Mayor Elorza about 2 of our Police Officers 11 Votes not condemning the Statement
Vote condemning the public statement made by 380 Votes condemning the Statement Council President Matos about 2 of our Police Officers 11 Votes not condemning the Statement
Minutes after FOP announced that they had voted to condemn the public statement made by Matos she responded and announced that she was donating previous FOP campaign donation to youth organizations that are calling for police reforms.
In contrast, Elorza did not respond to request for comment on the FOP vote.
- Commissioner Pare, Mayor Elorza, and City Council President Matos have overseen and approved significant reductions in the Providence Police Department Training Budget.
- Commissioner Pare and Mayor Elorza have ignored and failed to address the lack of proper maintenance and safety at the Providence Police Department Headquarters.
- Commissioner Pare and Mayor Elorza have ignored and failed to address the lack of safety and security in the Providence Police Department Parking Garage, including the recent theft of a marked Patrol Car from the Garage.
- Commissioner Pare and Mayor Elorza have ignored and failed to address the lack of updated and properly maintained Police Equipment for the Providence Police Department, including: aging Police Vehicles, expired safety equipment such as Bullet Proof Vests and Gas Mask Filters, and an outdated Computerized Police Reporting System.
- Commissioner Pare and Mayor Elorza have made biased and partisan decisions and political statements against the interests of Police Officers and Public Safety.
- Mayor Elorza and City Council President Matos have conducted private meetings with ex-law enforcement officers who are not and never have been affiliated with the Providence Police Department, without representatives from the Providence Police Department or the FOP present.
- Commissioner Pare, Mayor Elorza, and City Council President Matos displayed a biased, unfair complete lack of support for Police Officers Nate Calicci and Matt Sandorse in the Firefighter incident.
- Commissioner Pare has publicly lobbied to change the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights in a manner against the interests of Rhode Island Police Officers.
- Commissioner Pare has repeatedly displayed an unfair lack of support for Providence Police Officers, including permitting the release of information, names, and pictures of Officers to the public and/or the media.
This story was first published 6/24/20 8:23 PM and was updated 7:00 AM on 6/25/20