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Posted by: fscpd907

Providence, State Police Team Up To Patrol City
Joint Patrols Will Be Used Three Nights A Week

PROVIDENCE -- Providence police on Friday announced it is partnering with the Rhode Island State Police to patrol the city three nights a week.

Starting this weekend, one city officer and one state trooper will pair up in six teams.

The new patrols will be out Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights -- a high-impact time in the capital city, especially in the early morning hours, when many nightclubs let out and there's a greater opportunity for violence.

"That will be one area of concern on the weekends, just because the city is a place where more Rhode Islanders and people from all over New England come," Col. Dean Esserman, the Providence police chief, said.

The patrols won't be focusing solely on nightclub traffic, either. Any high-volume events, such as WaterFire, that bring a lot of people together will be heavily patrolled.

The teams can be dispatched anywhere in the city.

"It is most certainly not for downtown," Esserman said. "It is every neighborhood of the city."

The city of Providence has been using state troopers to help patrol big festivals for the last two summers. Now, it is expanding the partnership citywide.

"It can do nothing but enforce to our citizens of the state and the city, that the state police and Providence are tied at the hip, as we know we've been for years and years and years," state police Maj. Steven O'Donnell said.

Gov. Don Carcieri and Mayor David Cicilline approved overtime for the new patrols, which will be in effect through Labor Day weekend.

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Posted by: MSP75

Wow, what a novel concept. I can't believe none of the unions are complaining. Just wait 'til Flynn-scam moves down there. He'll make sure no one is happy.

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Posted by: Macop

Hartford P.D and Ct. State Police have been doing the same in the summers as well.

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Posted by: Irishpride

Call me crazy but why not just hire out more OT for the Providence PD. Just seems too gimmicky.

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Posted by: kwflatbed

The Providence PD has no money in the budget
for the OT, they are still fighting for a new contract
also.

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Posted by: Irishpride

OK but if the state has the $$ to pay RISP Troopers OT why not just give that $$ to the City so they can hire PPD Officers on OT?

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Posted by: VTCOP

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishpride";p=&quot OK but if the state has the $$ to pay RISP Troopers OT why not just give that $$ to the City so they can hire PPD Officers on OT?

Ummmm....just think for a second about what you just said....Do you actually think the state would give up money to the Muni's for more OT, yeh right. Not too mention, and I probably am wrong on this, but does RI do like MA and give out money to the Town's. I know up here in the sticks, Vermont doesn't give a dime back except on highway maint. Like I said I could be wrong!

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Posted by: Irishpride

The $ the state has is from the general fund, not the RISP OT fund so if the Gov. can divert funds to pay out OT there is no reason why 100% of the funds can't be diverted to PPD to pay for these special patrols, unless of course PPD lack the manpower to cover the shifts.

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