The United States Justice Department has completed a five-year investigation into the Providence Police Department, Mayor David Cicilline '83 and Providence Police Chief Dean Esserman announced April 3.
The study began in 2002 in response to claims of the use of excessive force and civil rights abuses, according to an April 3 press release issued by the PPD. No report has been officially published.
The study followed a federal investigation into the January 2000 death of Sgt. Cornel Young Jr., according to the Providence Business News article. Young was an off-duty black officer who was mistakenly shot by two white officers at a Providence diner.
The Justice Department found that the PPD has improved since Esserman became the Providence police chief, according to the press release. Esserman assumed the post in 2003, according to an April 4 article published in the Providence Business News.
Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch '87 thought the report reflected well on the police department, said Michael Healey, a spokesman for Lynch. "Attorney General Lynch thinks it's good news for the Providence Police Department and for the people of Providence. It shows that the Police Department has responded to criticism and is trying to be as sensitive as possible to the needs of the diverse population they serve," Healey said.
Lt. Kenneth Cohen, president of the Fraternal Order of the Police, Lodge No. 3, said the Justice Department recommended the police alter their use of force policy and change the manner in which civilian complaints are investigated. The Justice Department also encouraged the police to switch to using a different type of baton, among other suggestions, Cohen said.
Cliff Montiero, president of the Providence branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said he has heard of several civil-rights based problems with the Providence police. "The NAACP has had complaints of racial profiling, excessive use of force, name calling. But it's mostly racial profiling," he said.
Montiero complimented Esserman for actively trying to address such problems. "I think he's more accessible than any colonel I've seen in many years. ... There's never been a colonel that I heard of that has that kind of communication skills with the community," he said.
Still, Montiero said he thought there needed to be more accountability for officers who violate civil rights. "I'm really upset that you can't have a dysfunctional policeman fired. In any other industry in this country, a person is fired," he said.
Cohen said he didn't think such abuses were rampant. "I wouldn't have characterized the department as a brutal department back then," he said. Nonetheless, he identified community relations as one of the department's more significant problems. "The perception in the community may have been a little bit tainted toward the (members of the PPD)." The PPD's interactions with the community have improved since Esserman took over, he said.
Cohen said he was pleased with the results of the study. "I believe it shows that the Justice Department has faith in the Providence Police Department, just as we do," he said.
Montiero said he spoke with Justice Department investigators toward the beginning of the study, but he heard nothing else about the study until it had been completed. He said he was disappointed that no report was published and that Justice Department members were not present at the press conference.
"When I went to the press conference, I thought the Justice Department would be there and I would get a report," he said. He said he was told the Justice Department had sent a letter saying the investigation was closed, but he never saw the letter. "I think it should have been shared with us prior to the press conference," he said.
The Police Department has been more sensitive to civil rights issues, Montiero said, but more needs to be done. His desire for further changes and his close working relationship to Esserman drove him to attend the press conference, despite criticism from some other NAACP members, he said. "We want a working relationship with the police department, we want more involvement with the police department, and because we want to see more inclusion of minorities and women, that's why I was there," he said.
The Urban League of Rhode Island - which works to promote racial equality, according to its Web site - was involved in asking the Justice Department to study the Providence Police, said the organization's CEO, Dennis Langley.
He said he has also seen dramatic improvements. "I think the Police Department in Providence is undergoing a radical transformation," he said, citing increased community engagement and department oversight. "We're pleased with what we've seen."
Esserman could not be reached for comment.
