PRESS RELEASE
August 27, 2020
CONTACT INFO. :
Office of the Mayor
Patricia Resende
(401) 529-3207
presende@eastprovidenceri.gov
City of East Providence addresses allegations of racist stickers
EAST PROVIDENCE, RI –The city of East Providence has been made aware of racist stickers that have allegedly been placed on city property.
Mayor Bob DaSilva, together with the East Providence Police Department, is asking residents or visitors who come across any form of vandalism promoting racism in our community, to please contact the East Providence Police Department.
“If any member of the community should witness any acts of vandalism in the future, we ask that you follow this protocol: please do not touch, attempt to remove, or attempt to cover it up in any way,” DaSilva said.
The police should immediately be contacted and informed of the alleged acts. The police will treat it as a crime scene, process the scene and collect anything of evidentiary value.
“Vandalism will not be tolerated in our community and the City is taking any act of vandalism, racism or hatred very seriously,” DaSilva added.
East Providence’s newly-formed Community Advisory Board has been made aware of the alleged acts of vandalism and asks that anyone who would like to attend its next meeting or to have their questions, comments and concerns addressed, to join the meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020 at 6 p.m. at East Providence City Hall Conference Room 306 (third floor).
The Mayor’s Community Advisory Board was created by Mayor DaSilva in an effort to bring varying racial and ethnic backgrounds with differing views together. The board, overseen by Municipal Integrity Officer Elmer Pina, was created to promote communication between communities within the city and the administration, to reduce systemic racism and bigotry and to promote the values of diversity and inclusivity within East Providence.
“I'm saddened to hear that there may have been racist stickers posted in city parks that citizens and children use,” Pina said. “East Providence is rich and diverse and the City is committed to being inclusive. We stand firmly against racism and its many forms.”
We also ask that if you have any further information pertaining to acts of vandalism, that you contact the East Providence Police Department at (401)-435-7600.
