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NBC 10 I-Team: License plate cameras expand as privacy fears prompt pushback

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NBC 10 I-Team: License plate cameras expand as privacy fears prompt pushback


Rhode Island State Police want to install dozens of license plate–reading Flock cameras across the state, but not every community is on board.

State police have pitched the program in over 20 communities after receiving a federal COPS grant that includes $579,000 for 39 cameras.

Flock cameras are automated license plate readers that photograph the license plates of passing vehicles, and record details such as time, location, color and vehicle type.

The information is stored in a searchable database that police can use to look for specific vehicles by plate number or description.

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Departments can also set alerts, so officers are notified in real time when a stolen vehicle or a suspect’s car is detected. Data is stored for 30 days before being permanently erased.

Town Council Vice President Keri Cronin spoke with NBC 10’s Tamara Sacharczyk about privacy concerns. (WJAR)

Although the cameras would be installed on state roads, state police must get permission from each community before moving forward.

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So far, Warren is the only town to reject the proposal.

During a December meeting, town leaders raised concerns about data use and privacy. Town Council Vice President Keri Cronin said officials worry that as the technology evolves, access could expand in ways that threaten civil liberties.

Councilman Louis Rego said he received emails from residents who were uneasy about how the cameras would be operated and monitored, while Council President Joseph DePasquale questioned the legal implications of potential changes to the system in the future.

Flock cameras have been credited with helping solve hundreds of crimes statewide by alerting police to stolen vehicles and cars connected to criminal investigations.

When asked whether rejecting the program could hinder investigations, Cronin said no.

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“I feel very safe and confident in the work of the Warren Police Department,” she said. “We just weren’t confident in how the information would ultimately be used.”

Just weeks after Warren rejected the proposal, Flock cameras were used in the search for the suspect in the Brown University shooting.

A license plate camera. (WJAR)

Authorities say tips about a gray Nissan rental car, along with data from license plate reader cameras, helped investigators track the suspect from Providence to Massachusetts and then New Hampshire. Manuel Neves Valente was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police said the surveillance system helped link the crimes and end a days-long manhunt.

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Despite that track record, Cronin said residents made clear they do not want the technology.

“I think a lot of people are sleeping more soundly knowing they are not living in a surveillance state, that their civil liberties aren’t being violated,” she said. “I have great confidence in our police force.”

Other communities, including Cranston, are embracing the technology.

Cranston already has 29 Flock cameras at a cost of about $81,000 a year and is joining the State Police program for additional cameras at no cost.

“We have seized over 100 stolen vehicles since we started,” Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist said. “We’ve used it in homicide investigations, drive-by shootings and cases where we didn’t have a lot of leads. It helped expedite the arrest of some pretty dangerous individuals.”

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Since 2021, Flock cameras have helped Cranston Police with 17 missing persons, 89 warrant arrests, 104 stolen vehicle arrests and 28 stolen property arrests.

The ACLU has warned that widespread use of license plate readers could allow authorities to track a person’s movements, drawing concerns as more cameras pop up statewide.

“Despite many attempts to get legislation passed to protect our privacy, which would include reasonable limits on how long data can be kept, how the data can be shared, and when police can put in requests to access the data. Flock cameras are still virtually unregulated in Rhode Island,” an ACLU statement said.

But when it comes to questioning the amount of surveillance, Winquist said for him, there’s no limit.

“We have hundreds and hundreds of miles of roadways,” he said. “In a perfect world, we would have a lot more cameras.”

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Winquist said Rhode Island police share data with each other and with federal agencies, but not with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Winquist said safeguards are in place.

Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist spoke with NBC 10 about the cameras. (WJAR)

Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist spoke with NBC 10 about the cameras. (WJAR)

“It has to be used for official purposes only,” Winquist said. “It leaves a log of anyone who searches plates, and we conduct routine audits.”

Winquist said rejecting the program takes away an important investigative tool. “I think it’s unfortunate,” he said.

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Cronin said the town is not permanently closing the door.

“If at some point there’s a new proposal where they put considerable thought into how the data would be used and safeguarded, we can always hear it again,” she said.

State police have not announced when the 39 cameras will be deployed.

The proposal has been submitted in the following communities:

Glocester, East Greenwich, Exeter, North Smithfield, Tiverton, Providence, Lincoln, Portsmouth, Bristol, Middletown, North Kingstown, Jamestown, Cranston, Pawtucket, East Providence, Johnston, Cumberland, Richmond, Westerly, South Kingstown, Newport and Warren.

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GETTING SUPPORT AT THE FORT – Jamestown Press

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GETTING SUPPORT AT THE FORT – Jamestown Press


Connie Slick, right, chats with Deanne Wright at the Rhode Island Direct Primary Care booth Tuesday at the senior center’s “Aging in Place” resource fair under the pavilion at Fort Getty. Photos by Andrea von Hohenleiten

Annie Murphy, from left, Joe Colon and Lea Verta at the Alzheimer’s Association booth.

Annie Murphy, from left, Joe Colon and Lea Verta at the Alzheimer’s Association booth.

Florence Iwuc learns about the warning signs of a stroke.

Florence Iwuc learns about the warning signs of a stroke.

Donna Mignella, right, talks to members of the Community Outreach and Support Team, Mary Meagher, from left, Becky Minus and Dave Pritchard.

Donna Mignella, right, talks to members of the Community Outreach and Support Team, Mary Meagher, from left, Becky Minus and Dave Pritchard.

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Susan Conant, left, and Andrea Maroto.

Susan Conant, left, and Andrea Maroto.

Vincent Ng, Barbara Cunha and John Andrews at the AARP booth.

Vincent Ng, Barbara Cunha and John Andrews at the AARP booth.



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More complaints against former RI private school coach accused of exploiting underage girl – The Boston Globe

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More complaints against former RI private school coach accused of exploiting underage girl – The Boston Globe


The girl told the state police and Barrington police that Cassidy, who’d been her coach, became fixated on her since the summer of 2025 and won her trust. She told police that Cassidy had given her lingerie and alcohol and requested explicit photos of her under the guise of training her for a “secret section of the FBI” to help children who are sex trafficked.

The small private Christian school fired Cassidy after his arrest on June 1. State police said they expected to bring more charges and asked for other witnesses to come forward.

Since then, Barrington Police Chief Michael E. Correia said, four more students from Barrington Christian Academy and a young woman who encountered Cassidy at the Pawtucket YMCA have made complaints.

“All of their stories are clearly inappropriate behavior from a teacher-coach,” Correia said on Wednesday. “However, we don’t believe [the allegations] at this time amounts to a criminal offense.”

Correia declined to describe the specific accusations. The new reports have been referred to the State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is leading the investigation. State Police Major Kenneth Moriarty did not respond to questions on Wednesday.

A 19-year-old woman who attended Barrington Christian Academy in the 2020-2021 school year was the first to come forward. She spoke to Barrington police on June 3, shortly after the state police announced Cassidy’s arrest, and described “inappropriate behavior,” Correia said.

Then, a 12-year-old girl and 15-year-old girl, both of whom are student-athletes at the school, spoke with Barrington police on June 8. A mother brought her 12-year-old daughter, who is also a student, to speak with police on June 9.

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A 23-year-old woman contacted the Barrington police on June 17 about Cassidy. She said she encountered him at the Pawtucket YMCA when she was about 14 years old, and she also complained about “inappropriate behavior,” Correia said.

Kate Messier, the vice president of development at the Pawtucket YMCA, confirmed on Wednesday that Cassidy was employed there until 2018. She did not comment on his role at the YMCA or answer questions about whether the organization had received any complaints about Cassidy at the time.

“Child protection is foundational to how the YMCA of Pawtucket operates, and we maintain extensive safeguards that are reviewed and reinforced on an ongoing basis,” Messier said in the statement. “Those safeguards include thorough staff screening and background checks, mandatory child abuse prevention training, program environments structured to maintain supervision and eliminate unsupervised one-on-one situations, and clear procedures for reporting any concern.”

The 14-year-old girl whose allegations led the state police to arrest Cassidy said that she learned that he had allowed juveniles from unstable homes live in his house in Pawtucket while he was working at the YMCA, according to court documents. The girl also told investigators that Cassidy had housed foreign exchange students associated with Barrington Christian Academy.

Correia said that the private school has been “very cooperative” with the Barrington police. The head of school, Michael Skazinski, did not respond to questions from the Globe on Wednesday.

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Cassidy’s lawyer, Melissa Larsen, declined comment on Wednesday.

The state police have searched Cassidy’s home in Pawtucket, his pickup truck, and his office at the school, and have seized numerous electronic devices, including iPads, tablets, and thumb drives, according to court records. The affidavits accompanying the search warrants detailed the allegations that the 14-year-old girl made against Cassidy.

He had been coaching her in different sports at the school, and their families became close. She told the state police that she grew to trust Cassidy and would spend time with him and his family at their home. Then, she said, he began telling her stories about how he was special — and so was she.

She said Cassidy told her he was working for a “secret section of the FBI.” She said he claimed that he had “special DNA,” so the FBI and state troopers had him assist in raids to save children from being sex trafficked. She said that Cassidy told her that there were “off-worlders” or aliens that posed as humans on earth, and some of those children being sex trafficked were actually aliens.

She said that Cassidy assigned various “challenges” or “missions” to make her comfortable in uncomfortable situations, according to the affidavits.

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“She was also advised to learn to get comfortable with wearing less clothing and ultimately nudity because it would be required later on for ‘missions,’” the affidavits said. “Cassidy claimed that aliens did not believe in the ‘construct of clothes.’”

She said Cassidy emailed her from his personal Gmail account, calling himself “Casper,” the affidavits said. She said he also claimed that two other girls were using his email to talk to her about the “special” training, and she was told to email with a person named “Kevin” on another email address who would talk to her about her feelings, the affidavits said.

She said she was instructed to take explicit photographs of herself and send them to his private email. She came to realize that all of the personas were actually Cassidy.

On May 28, the girl received an email from Cassidy’s personal Gmail account offering her three “flirt options,” all of which involved her taking off her clothes in front of him. She believed she needed to follow through; she told police that Cassidy said “bad things” could happen to her if she failed.

That night, her parents discovered what was going on, and they contacted the Barrington police, who called in the state police.

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The State Police are continuing to investigate and ask anyone with information about Cassidy or potential victims to contact the task force at 401-921-1170, or the Barrington Police Department at 401-437-3935.


Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.





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‘Condom Hut’ Movie Adds Another Big Name

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‘Condom Hut’ Movie Adds Another Big Name


Another famous face is joining the cast of “Rubber Hut” filming throughout Rhode Island.

As we previously reported, Grace Van Patten is starring in the feature film debut for director Hannah Gray Organschi about the infamous “condom hut” business from the early 90s.

Dia Dipasupil, Getty Images
Dia Dipasupil, Getty Images

The short-lived Fotomat kiosk turned drive-thru condom store garnered local notoriety as well as national attention in 1992 and is now the subject of a movie with several A-list stars attached.

READ MORE: Michael Imperioli, Emmy Rossum Join RI ‘Condom Hut’ Film

Scenes were filmed for several days at a custom-made “condom hut” on West Shore Road in Warwick. On Thursday, June 11, Beach Avenue was closed down to shoot a parade scene. Now, film crews have moved to Meshanticut Valley Parkway in Cranston for scenes along a residential street.

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Who Was Behind the Original Condom Hut?

The home is believed to represent the residence of Emanuella DelVecchio, the former flight attendant who had the brilliant idea to open a condom kiosk in response to the AIDS epidemic.

Nancy Hall/Townsquare Media
Nancy Hall/Townsquare Media
Nancy Hall/Townsquare Media

Instead of support, however, DelVecchio received the condemnation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and was plagued with vandalism before shuttering her business within a year.

READ MORE: New Bedford’s Gone But Not Forgotten Closed-Down Bars

Who Has Joined the ‘Condom Hut’ Movie Cast So Far

Photos of parade scenes for the film show Michael Imperioli portraying a priest in the movie and now Deadline has reported that stage actor, Will Harrison, is attached to the project as DelVecchio’s husband. Other actors’ specific roles remain unknown.

Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images
Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images
Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images

Filming is expected to continue in Rhode Island until the end of June with a theatrical release likely in 2027.

See the Stars Who Own Homes in Rhode Island

There are plenty of celebrities who once called Rhode Island home, but how many still do? Here’s the list of stars who own homes across the Ocean State.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

20 Stars Who Hail From Rhode Island

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the nation, but it has been home to many celebrities. Though some have moved here, filmed here or attended school here, only a handful were actually born here. These are those celebrities.

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Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

All The Famous Faces That Have Been to Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island Home

Here are all the celebrities we know have made an appearance at Holiday House over the years.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall





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