Throughout the week, we have reported on an outrageous municipal ordinance out of Providence (RI) that was sold as a “racial profiling” bill but as we pointed out contained a dangerous mix of criminal benefits while handcuffing local law enforcement.
Our initial article upset many behind this movement when we claimed that Providence would be welcoming gang members into their community by passing the ordinance. After reading the strange homage to criminal gangs in the act, that was the only commons sense conclusion.
We followed that up by defending the great work of the Providence Police Department and discussing the vile and hateful comments that we were receiving.
We were being attacked for a reason. For the act to pass, the Providence City Council had to pass it again. It was a forgone conclusion that it would pass considering it passed 12-0 last week.
Considering many of the supporters of this act have posted the above and below photos, we found it odd that the politicians would overwhelmingly side with such hatred. Last week they did. Yesterday was a different story.
In a surprise vote, the Providence City Council did not pass the Community Safety Act a required second time during its meeting Thursday.
The city council voted 9 to 5, with one absentee, to table the ordinance until June 1st. When the city councilors announced their intention, the advocates of the ordinance erupted into deafening boos and shouts of ‘no.’
Of course they did. They did something very similar to us on social media but it was much more hateful and violent. Thus is the ramblings of racist, bigoted people.
So why did this terrible ordinance go from a 12-0 vote to where it stands today?
Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements spoke out against it and we are told that area businesses became very concerned what the passing of this ordinance would do to crime in the city.
GoLocalProv.com said that the FOP “had been lobbying and cajoling Providence City Council members all week” and they even cited the articles here at Law Officer as potential reasons for the back peddling.
There are likely many reasons but one thing is for sure. There is a decision to make in Providence. Will the “boos” of the hateful few (see above pictures) outweigh the need for law enforcement and public safety?
A week ago we had very little confidence in the city of Providence and today we are hopeful.
This is not about racial profiling. No police officer wants that and the state of Rhode Island has a law against it. Currently, the Federal Government and the State of Rhode Island can prosecute any police officer treating someone unfairly based solely on their race. That is not what the Community Safety Act is about. It is about lawlessness and crime and the ultimate destruction of a great police department.
As we said last week. We aren’t going anywhere and we are here to speak up for those that have been silenced by the screams of the criminal element and the decisions of the weak politicians.
