Prov. taking violent crime to task

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - The top three crimes in Providence in 2009 were domestic violence, youth violence, and gun-related violence. Now, the capitol city's police force is focusing on all three key issues in the new year, with new plans to prevent crime.

"There is no simple one-size-fits-all solution," said Mayor David Cicilline at a news conference Monday.

The mayor and the police chief call the increase in violent crimes unacceptable, and the police department says they're going to act swiftly and decisively.

After a puzzling year for Providence law enforcement, the department analyzed every single case of violence in 2009 and determined a troubling trend emerged.

"Domestic violence reared its head this past year in Providence as it hasn't been seen in years before," said Col. Dean Esserman of the Providence Police. "That one out of every three murders in this city was domestic violence. That's never happened."

And in order to put a stop to domestic violence-related crimes, the department is forming a domestic violence "triage" unit -- to dispatch officers after an initial complaint is called in.

The police department is also doubling its Youth Gang Task Force, and initiating a gun buyback program to try to curb youth violence in the city.

"Every gun that we can take off our streets will save a life," said Esserman.

The chief also wants to target late-night violence at the city's nightclubs, and said he'll immediately increase the number of officers stationed downtown on weekend nights.

"This department commits itself to stopping the violence," said Esserman.

Esserman also said he's meeting with police chiefs around the state to form a "regional crime information sharing center." It's designed to compare notes on crimes in neighboring communities, as repeat offenders may be moving around from town to town -- so the worst career criminals can be stopped faster.