Gun violence increases in Providence

January 26, 2018 7:46 am

By: News Staff

Email: news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A serious run of gun violence in Providence has local officials calling for action.

Providence Police are investigating five shootings in four days one of them deadly. Three weeks into the New Year, the capital city has already seen their highest gun violence rate in since 2014: Two murders, eight shootings, including a chaotic one at the providence Place Mall, have police working overtime trying to track down the culprits.

As of late, there have been five shootings in four days. Two of which took place in the West End of the city.

Providence City Councilor Mary Kay Harris who represents that ward says she isn’t concerned with the numbers but gun violence as a whole.

“Often times we get so caught up in the data that we don’t realize there are root causes and I would like to see that explored more than whether the numbers are up or down,” said City Councilor Harris.

A local Providence Police Union took to Facebook Thursday claiming the newly passed “Providence Community-Police Relations Act” is keeping officers from doing their jobs and partly responsible for the increase in shootings.

“I’m surprised they would turn this into a policy or political thing, when at this point we are talking about young lives. We’re talking about guns. We’re talking about violence and other things we should be concentrating on from a root cause,” said City Councilor Harris.

ABC6 News has reached out the Providence Police Union for comment, but have yet to hear back.