Police Raised Public Safety Concerns To Elorza Before PVDFest

Police Raised Public Safety Concerns To Elorza Before PVDFest

Providence Police urged Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza not to allow open alcohol container drinking at PVDFest, but Elorza overruled them.

On Saturday night at 11 pm, a gunman ripped off a number of shots sending hundreds of PVDFest attendees running.

The shooting was the second shooting at PDVFest in the past three years. In 2017, Mike Marrow was shot and paralyzed.

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Elorza’s spokesperson Emily Crowell said in a statement to GoLocal, “Open container has been a standing policy during PVDFest. At this point time, the incident is under investigation.”

Questions of Safety

The open container issue was one of a number of concerns that were raised by police officials, according to multiple police officials.

The two shootings have put a chilling effect on the downtown festival.

Justin Case, a Providence photographer, took to Facebook and wrote, “Hey #PVDfest It's great to see the streets packed with people but those people need protection. I saw 5 officers in total during the several hours I was there. #dobetter.”

Another PDVFest attendee Drew Owen wrote, “Shots let off right next to me while I had my LEGAL pistol on me lol and I had to run because ya know black man problems.”

GoLocal attended PVDFest on Kennedy Plaza at 8:30 PM on Saturday and saw dozens of Providence Police around the parameter of Kennedy, but among the thousands in Kennedy Plaza only two police officers were visible. There were no police officers visible on Dorrance or Weybosset Streets.

While the city claims that attendance from Thursday into Sunday attracts a crowd of 100,000, at no time were there more than 100 police officers.

GoLocal has learned that the Rhode Island State Police were not asked to assist in the event.