Why Didn’t Providence Board of Licenses Investigate PVDFest Shooting?

Why Didn’t Providence Board of Licenses Investigate PVDFest Shooting?

It is standard when a permitted Providence event has an act of violence — a shooting or stabbing — for the incident to be brought before an emergency meeting of the Providence Board of Licenses.

But, Providence officials did not request a hearing on the incident after the shooting on Saturday night.

At approximately 11 p.m. a man fired five shots in the midst of a crowd in the area of Union and Washington Streets. The shooting sent the crowd running in a panic.

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The crowd attending PVDFest at the time of the shooting was in the thousands. City officials claim that over the four-day an estimated 100,000 attend the festival.

Providence Public Safety Commissioner Stephen Pare has refused to respond to repeated requests as to why Providence Police did not request a hearing before the City’s Board of Licenses.

Dylan Conley, Chair of the Providence Board of Licenses told GoLocal that his Board has not received any request for a hearing.

“There's a common conflation of roles there. Show cause hearings are brought to the Board of Licenses, not brought by the Board of Licenses. The Board of Licenses sits in a quasi judicial capacity, not a prosecutorial capacity. In other words, the Board is more comparable to a District Court Judge who does not and cannot take any action unless and until charges and evidence are brought before the Court," said Conley.

“I am not aware of anything scheduled at this time. Absent an ongoing emergency, all of our agenda items are published 48 hours in advance on the Secretary of State's website in accordance with the Open Meetings Act,” said Conley.

Second Shooting - Safety Concerns

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

Mayor Jorge 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.”

One of the issues the Board of Licenses considers in reviewing permits is previous issues.

The Board of Licenses routinely holds emergency show-cause hearings when there is a shooting or stabbing at a nightclub or restaurant with a beverage or entertainment license -- like a permit -- before the board. And the Board regularly shuts down establishments -- often for weeks at a time -- while an investigation takes place. 

Saturday Night's shooting

For events larger than 5,000 attendees, organizers are required to submit a Special Event Incident Action Plan. The ten-page template of the document requires planners to identify medical response personnel, security staffing and communications plan.

The City’s application page states, “We are delighted that you will be attracting visitors, building community, supporting local businesses and energizing our capital city. The Public Events Permit has been developed for any person or group who wants to host a special event that impacts public property and city services. It also serves to help you consider all the logistics necessary for operating a safe and successful event.

Elorza’s office refused to provide GoLocal with a copy of the plan on Monday.