The City of Providence has retained the Police Executive Research Forum to conduct an independent, third-party review of its response to the Dec. 13 shooting, Mayor Brett Smiley announced on Thursday. The review, which will cost $95,000 in total, is projected to be completed in 210 days.
PERF — a research organization based in Washington, D.C. focusing on policing issues — will produce an after-action report synthesizing findings from various groups, such as the Providence Police Department, and provide recommendations for the city. This report will help identify “what worked well and where we must improve in training, tools, tactics and technology,” Smiley said in a statement sent to the Herald.
“This process is focused on accountability and learning,” Smiley said. “We are committed to releasing the full report once it is complete and to continuing to earn the community’s trust.”
The report will evaluate the city’s “inter-agency coordination, investigative processes and public communications” in response to the shooting, the statement added. Providence residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the city’s emergency alert systems following the Dec. 13 shooting, The Herald previously reported.
PERF will review the use of technology and equipment by city agencies in their response and investigation. This includes license plate readers, AI-enabled technologies and the Real Time Crime Center, a centralized technology hub the city uses to help monitor crime.
As part of their investigation, PERF also plans to facilitate after-action discussions among relevant partner agencies, including representatives from the University and Brown’s Department of Public Safety.
Brown is also conducting its own after-action review and campus safety and security assessment with the global consulting firm Teneo, The Herald previously reported.
Smiley highlighted the Monday shooting in Pawtucket as a “painful reminder” of how such incidents impact the affected communities. He added that it “strengthens our resolve to examine our own response with honesty and transparency.”
“Our responsibility is not only to understand what happened, but to act on what we learn,” Smiley said. “We must continue strengthening how we serve, protect and support our residents, and do everything in our power to help prevent future tragedies.”
Talia is a metro section editor covering the health and environment and community and culture beats. She is a sophomore from Bethesda, MD studying history and international and public affairs. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Providence one wrong turn at a time.
