Providence city council, police make calls for change at emergency meeting.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – City councilors and law enforcement officials shared their thoughts during an emergency three-hour meeting Tuesday night, following a violent few weeks in Providence .

The meeting was called after law enforcement responded to 11 people shot and three deaths over the past two weeks.

Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare, Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements, and members of the Nonviolence Institute were in attendance.

In response to the question of whether Providence is safe, Chief Clements asked residents to look at the bigger picture.

“Big picture look at the data…look at the data month to month, five-year average, the data shows Providence can be safer, but in general Providence is a safe city,” Chief Clements said.

The two main issues discussed at the meeting were community policing, and the rise in incidents involving ATVs.

Both Commissioner Pare and Chief Clements said a plan is in place to address the ongoing ATV issue, but it is not ready to be made public.

In terms of preventing rather than reacting to violence, Providence police said they are willing to work with state police.

Few action items were set in stone, however, City Council President John Igliozzi said a lot was still accomplished.

But Cedric Huntley, Executive Director of The Nonviolence Institute thinks there should be more clarity on this plan.

“Was I satisfied? I think it’s a beginning. We have to deepen the discussion and come up with a strategic plan that’s going to work for everyone around the safety in our city,” Huntley said.