Providence Sex Offender meeting gets heated as two sides clash

Emotions running high yet again in Providence during an Ordinance Committee meeting as discussion began about strengthening sex offender boundaries in the city and severely limit where they can go.

A movement was sparked by child rapist Richard Gardner who recently moved into the Washington Park neighborhood after serving 30 years behind bars. 

After Gardner moved in, a major concern for residents was that he lived close to several daycares, which at this point is completely legal in Providence.

The proposed ordinance would add daycares, parks, and libraries to the schools while also increasing the distance sex offender would have to be from them. The distance would increase from 300 feet to 500 feet.

Councilor Luis Aponte introduced the ordinance.

“This takes it on in a holistic city-wide way and protects some of our most vulnerable population of children,” Aponte said.

But as the hearing was coming to a close, Providence resident Megan Smith stood up against the ordinance and supported the rights of sex offenders. The large group of residents from Gardner’s neighborhood did not want to hear it and left.

“Ordinances like this don’t do anything for public safety, in many cases run counter to it by stopping individuals who have to register to get stable in a community,” Smith said.

Smith added that this ordinance would increase the homeless problem in the city.

But Washington Park Resident Juan Rosales called the claim bogus, and said he’s sick an tired of his neighborhood being overrun with sex offenders, including Gardner.

“It’s the other side that keeps sending a river and flowing all these sex offenders into our neighborhoods,” Rosales said. “We’re no longer willing to accept this.”

Many residents shouted toward Smith, who said she is an outreach coordinator, and told her to have Gardner move next door to her.

She said she’d welcome him with open arms.

“Really want to go and say hi to [Gardner] and say to him there are differences in opinion of how people perceive his reentry into the community,” she said.

The ordinance would not force any sex offender from their current homes, including Gardner, as they would be grandfathered in.

The ordinance was sent to the city solicitor’s office to makes sure it is constitutional, as the new restrictions would severely limit where a sex offender could be.

Councilor Aponte is hoping his ordinance returns to the committee by next week.