Should Providence create a new public-safety office for initial responses to nonemergency calls to the police and fire departments?

PBN Staff

04/16/2021

A NEW REPORT recommends ways to cut costs and improve efficiencies in the Providence Police Department, including creating a new Office of Neighborhood Services to coordinate and handle more community and social service-related needs. — A NEW REPORT suggests creating an Office of Neighborhood Services in Providence to handle community and social service-related public-safety calls.

A new report says Providence could cut costs and improve services by creating a public-safety department to coordinate and respond to social service-related needs.

The Public Financial Management’s Center for Justice and Safety Finance reviewed the city’s Department of Public Safety budget and operations at the request of Mayor Jorge O. Elorza.

The report found that police, fire and emergency management services comprised 46.6% of nonschool-related spending in the fiscal 2020 budget. It also found that about 30% of police calls in 2019 were for nonemergencies.

The report offered options that included creating an Office of Neighborhood Services, to free up the police department to be a “spoke” in delivery of services rather than the “hub.”