LETTER Re: Proposed Providence "Public Nuisance" Ordinance

This letter was sent to the Providence City Council Committee on Ordiances to urge rejection of a proposed ordinance that would allow a city council member, when accompanied by two notarized witness statements from ward residents, to request the police chief to post a “public nuisance” notice on the premises where an alleged “loud or unruly gathering” occurred. The proposal further provides that the submission of these statements would “constitute prima facie evidence that a public nuisance has occurred.” The ordinance was ultimately rejected.