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U.S. DOJ launches domestic-violence initiative in three RI cities

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U.S. DOJ launches domestic-violence initiative in three RI cities


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PROVIDENCE – The U.S. Department of Justice has selected three Rhode Island communities – Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket  –  to join with their federal partners in an initiative aimed at reducing intimate partner firearm violence.

Federal prosecutors and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will work with the police departments to develop a strategy to reduce domestic-violence firearms cases and prioritize prosecutions of known offenders for possible prosecution.

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More: SWAT team responds after domestic violence incident in West Warwick; suspect found dead

“Domestic violence takes a devastating toll on families and communities across Rhode Island,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha said in a news release. “And when combined with illegal firearms, the consequences can be deadly.  This Office is proud to partner with the cities of Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket to bring targeted federal prosecutions that keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and help keep our communities, our friends, and our neighbors safe.”

Now in its infancy, the effort will focus on repeat offenders and look at ways to reduce the risk through the federal system to their victims – who are often plagued by fears about money, children and housing that can make them reluctant to come forward.

It is modeled, in part, on “Operation 922,” which targets domestic violence offenders for federal prosecution in western Oklahoma. Launched in 2018, that program gives state and tribal police access to federal authorities to vet cases for whether federal charges could be pursued.

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“Operation 922 prioritizes prosecutions of federal firearms offenses that arise in domestic violence settings,” according to a news release.  

Federal prosecutors to provide resources, training

The three Rhode Island cities are among 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia that Attorney General Merrick B. Garland approved for the special designation under the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, according to a news release.

The U.S. Attorney Cunha’s office intends to provide resources and training to law enforcement agencies to help identify firearms cases that may be investigated and charged as federal crimes, with a focus on perpetrators of intimate partner violence.  They will work hand in hand with the ATF.

“ATF is dedicated to reducing domestic violence, with a special focus on cases involving firearms. By working closely with our law enforcement partners, we are determined to end these violent crimes and safeguard our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division. “Together, we will protect victims and hold offenders accountable, ensuring a safer future for all.” 

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Domestic violence resources providers decry cuts

The new initiative comes as the nonprofit organizations that provide services and support to domestic violence victims decry federal spending cuts.

The system to support survivors of domestic violence in our state is in crisis. There is no other way to put it. A massive 40% cut in the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) this year left Rhode Island with a nearly $2-million gap in victim services funding, risking an interruption of life-saving services impacting nearly 50,000 residents who rely on services and programming funded by VOCA,” Jim Berson, board president of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, wrote in a recent op-ed.

Domestic violence murder highlights need

The piece was written not long after the death of Stephanie Francis, the Hopkinton mother fatally shot by her husband, Joseph Francis, on July 5. The police had been called to the house weeks earlier, an encounter during which Francis, 44, appeared “visibly upset” with a red bump on her head. The report described her husband as “aggressive” and “uncooperative” and detailed his cache of weapons, including illegal high-capacity magazines for pistols and rifles.

The day after the shooting, the police spotted the 45-year-old Joseph Francis’s SUV and pursued him until he lost control and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nonprofits’ ask goes unanswered

More than 20 nonprofit organizations urged state lawmakers last session to provide emergency funding for support services for victims based on the 40% cuts in federal funding nationwide. The cuts will take effect Oct. 1.

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More: Police reports detail domestic abuse weeks before Hopkinton mother’s killing

A total of $700 million is being slashed from Victims of Crime Act funding across the country, including Rhode Island.

Created in the mid-1980s, the Crime Victims Fund is a federal program that relies on fines and penalties imposed on federal defendants convicted at trial. The money is used to provide social services and compensation to crime victims at no taxpayer cost.

Locally, the money has been used to provide grief counseling, protective services, safety planning, and a confidential 24-hour statewide helpline, among other services.

“It threatens really essential programs,” Lucy Rios, executive director for the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, warned at the time. 

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“[T]he domestic violence movement is still struggling with serious underfunding. We experienced significant cuts to Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding earlier this year. The loss of VOCA funding, and the lack of action of the General Assembly to provide the necessary state-based backfill funding, has led to a $715k gap in the RICADV’s budget alone,” Rios said in an email.

Twenty-plus organizations have been impacted by the cuts, Rios said.



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Rhode Island

Up to $5,000 reward offered for tips on who dumped emaciated dog’s body in trash bag in Rhode Island

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Up to ,000 reward offered for tips on who dumped emaciated dog’s body in trash bag in Rhode Island


Lincoln, RI – PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction on cruelty charges of the person(s) responsible for dumping a dead dog at Barney’s Pond on Smithfield Avenue.

On December 14, the Lincoln Police Department responded to a report of a dead animal in a trash bag in the parking lot of the pond and discovered the body of a severely emaciated dog with visible signs of trauma. They believe the body was left between the evening of December 13 and the morning of December 14. A white Toyota RAV4 may be connected to the case and is considered a vehicle of interest.

Police are searching for this vehicle of interest, a Toyota RAV4. Photo: Lincoln Police Department

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No leads or suspects have been identified, so PETA is asking for the public’s help.

“This poor dog was apparently starved, abused, and then dumped on the side of the road like garbage,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “There may be other animals in the perpetrator’s possession, so PETA asks anyone with information to come forward immediately—other lives may depend on it.”

Anyone with information about the deceased dog or the vehicle should contact Detective Lieutenant Brad Stewart at 401-333-8485.



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The Miriam Hospital In Providence Getting Key Upgrades

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The Miriam Hospital In Providence Getting Key Upgrades


PROVIDENCE, RI — The Miriam Hospital in Providence will undergo a renovation project, which will upgrade its emergency department and inpatient units, hospital officials said Monday.

The upgrades were approved with a certificate of need from the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) based on a recommendation from RIDOH’s Health Services Council, a spokesperson for Brown University Health, which owns the hospital, said.

“Receiving this approval marks a crucial step forward in our steadfast commitment to delivering exceptional patient care and advancing medical excellence,” Miriam Hospital President Maria Ducharme said. “Our current building, now over 100 years old, can no longer adequately support the demands of modern patient care. In addition, our emergency department is a fragmented space that no longer supports efficient patient flow and the highest levels of communication we strive to deliver to those who have come to rely on us for their care. These much-needed renovations will create a safe, comfortable, environment that prioritizes the health and well-being of our community.”

Work is scheduled to begin spring 2025 and will be carried out in three phases throughout the next three years. Hospital officials said this phased approach is designed to minimize disruptions to ongoing patient care and the surrounding communities.

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The first phase will involve demolishing the hospital campus’s oldest building to create space for a new emergency department and private patient rooms. The renovation project has an estimated cost of $125 million for completion, the majority which will be funded through a centennial capital fundraising campaign.

“As a cornerstone of our community, the Miriam Hospital has always been committed to delivering exceptional care,” Brown University Health President John Fernandez said. “This investment reflects Brown University Health’s unwavering dedication to modernizing our facilities, advancing healthcare and improving outcomes for everyone we serve.”

Have a news tip? Email jimmy.bentley@patch.com.



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Here’s How Much Minimum Wage Will Go Up In RI On Jan. 1

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Here’s How Much Minimum Wage Will Go Up In RI On Jan. 1


RHODE ISLAND — Minimum wage workers in Rhode Island are among about 9.2 million nationwide who will get a pay bump in 2025.

The pay raises taking effect Jan. 1 will increase worker pay by about $5.7 billion in the 21 states that are boosting the minimum wage, according to an analysis from the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank that analyzes the economic effect of policies on primarily low- and middle-income families.

In Rhode Island, the minimum wage will increase in 2025 to $15 an hour, up from $14 an hour in 2024. The tipped minimum wage stayed the same at $3.89 an hour.

The raises will increase 2025 pay for minimum wage workers in Rhode Island by about $46.5 million — or an average of $767 a year.

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About 13.6 percent of the workforce and about 65,100 Rhode Island residents are directly or indirectly affected by the minimum wage hikes. About 33,300 children — 16.1 percent of all children in Rhode Island — live in households where a minimum wage worker lives.

Nationwide, more than a quarter (25.7 percent) of workers getting a minimum wage pay increase are parents, and more than 5.8 million children live in households where an individual will receive a minimum wage hike, the analysis said.

One in five (20.4 percent) of affected workers are in families with incomes below the poverty line, and nearly half (48.5 percent) have family incomes below twice the poverty line.

Teenagers are often disproportionately likely to become minimum wage workers, the analysis said, but about 88 percent of those getting raises are adults. Among them, about half are full-time workers.

Of all adult workers getting a minimum wage bump in 2025, 41.4 percent have completed at least some education beyond a high school degree.

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In addition to Rhode Island, others among the 21 raising the minimum wage in 2025 are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Virginia, Vermont and Washington.

In addition, about 48 cities and counties, mostly in California, Colorado and Washington, are raising wages above their state minimum wage floors.

Most minimum wage hikes taking effect Jan. 1 are a result of state laws that tie minimum wage increases to inflation. The raises are automatic in 13 of the states and effect about 56.2 percent of workers getting raises.

Have a news tip? Email jimmy.bentley@patch.com.



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