the airing of grievances

[TheAnk]

We have also had other weird issues, like a teenager in a stolen car that warranted no fewer than 10 or 15 cruisers and at least 3 or 4 cops with guns drawn.

[runawayjim]

Funny you should mention this.. There was a domestic issue next door in The O about a year ago, a guy beat up his girlfriend. She came running next door, we called the cops.. 8 marked and 2 unmarked showed up as she said there was a gun in the house. Main road, Atwells.. Guys jumped out of the marked cruisers with bullet proof vests and pump action shotguns and solidified the perimiters..

Thanks guys.. I appreciate the candor.. As Richard said in Tommy Boy: "Oh that sounds good: melted chocolate inside the dash, that really ups the resale value."

[Frankie811]

Thanks guys.. I appreciate the candor.. As Richard said in Tommy Boy: "Oh that sounds good: melted chocolate inside the dash, that really ups the resale value."

[basachs]

Why would you do something like that!? With all the nuts on the road today, and with all the reports of road rage out there, you took a big risk. It isn't worth it. Let it be. The bad drivers are out there every day and there's nothing that you and I can do about it.

[Jenkins]

Whenever we have had a domestic issue on our street the number of cars responding has been just crazy (usually in the 5-7 cruiser range...) We have also had other weird issues, like a teenager in a stolen car that warranted no fewer than 10 or 15 cruisers and at least 3 or 4 cops with guns drawn. After they had arrested the people my wife went down to see why the hell there were guns all over the place and was told it was just a stolen car. No chase, no evidence of a weapon, just a couple kids joy riding in an early 80's corolla...

[ruchele]

Just curious if you have tried contacting someone in the police department about this? I would start by contacting Lt Mary Day, who is the person in charge of the substation for our area. http://www.providenceri.com/CityCouncil/substations.php for a complete listing.

The other thing I can suggest, although not as anonymous, is bringing it up at the next neighborhood action meeting at the WBNA. Lt Day regularly attends these. While not necessarily a crime, this does affect the public perception of the police in our neghborhood and may prevent someoe from reporting a real crime to the police becasue they feel nothing will get done. Lt Day is truly committed to community policing and I cant imagine she would not be interested in learning about this.

[Cotuit]

(as in, I had a baby)

[ruchele]

Geeze, bury the happy news as a parenthetical aside in an unrelated post why don't you?

Congratulations!

[Cotuit]

Thanks- just doing my part towards increased density. . .

[Dozer]

Most of you have read my gripes about this kind of thing before, but it continues to baffle and outrage me.

There are currently 6 cop cars, including 2 SUVs and at least one unmarked detective's car parked in front of the house next to me, several of them blocking traffic and one parked in my driveway. There are 5 cops standing around shooting the sh*t in the street. According to the neighbor, this is because an old boyfriend showed up, despite a restraining order. I'm so annoyed at the behavior of cops in this neighborhood that I think I have lost perspective. Does the police response seem appropriate and proportionate? Do they need to park all over the damned street? Why are they in my driveway? Why have they been standing around chewing the fat for the past 45 minutes?

Maybe that many police cars is an appropriate response, and my perceptions have just been colored by situations like the following scenario my husband observed about two weeks ago:

There was a pretty bad car accident at the corner of Sycamore and Westminster. One car was badly damaged and towed away, and the driver, a middle aged woman, was sitting on the curb, crying with all her posessions around her. She looked very possibly mentally ill and like she maybe lived in the car. Two cop cars are parked across the street, and the cops are not only not helping the woman, they are AUDIBLY LAUGHING AT HER and making fun of her thong underwear that is hanging out of her luggage. No one is offering her any assistance. My husband, who had just walked to the corner to drop something at the mailbox, ended up asking her if he could help, calling a cab for her, and helping her load her stuff into the cab once it came. Meanwhile, he keeps looking at the cops incredulously. One of them finally pulls a U-turn in the middle of Westminster and slows down to give MY HUSBAND the stink-eye before booping his siren and pulling away.

Seriously, what the hell are the police supposed to do, if not help someone in need? How is it in any way appropriate or professional to laugh at someone's misfortune? Who would have helped this woman, if my husband, Mr. Anonymous Nice Guy, hadn't happened along?

I'm not one of those people with some big chip on my shoulder about cops- in fact, I have a friendly working relationship with some officers in other neighborhoods, and I think Esserman has been doing a pretty good job. But I've never seen behavior like the above anywhere else I've lived. We've been living in Providence for about 2 1/2 years now, and I'm having a hell of a time convincing my husband to stay when he keeps seeing public servants behave like this (or even running red lights, like described above).

[ruchele]

Was this by the place with the paw-print sign?

[jencoleslaw]

who would have thought that two 200 lb planters would be stolen from the front of our office, huh? I certainly didn't.