Op Ed: Brown University and Providence - Joined at the Hip

hen Brown was attacked, Providence was there.

The relationship between the city and Brown University is like the United States’ relationship with NATO. We pay almost all the bills and we step up in times of crisis. Brown is the uncle who came to dinner and never left, and when finally guilted into supporting the family, makes a paltry contribution, while asking for seconds and thirds.

On the fateful day of the attack at Brown, Providence’s finest got the first call. The dispatcher didn’t say, “Let me put you on hold, so I can find the list of things the city wants.” They sent the cavalry… followed by the infantry. Within minutes, an army of Providence firefighters, rescue personnel, and police were on the scene, giving aid to the injured, providing safety to the fleeing, and locking down the area. It was a surreal scene that clearly no one on the campus  anticipated. 

The city, however, was ready, having practiced and trained first responders for this kind of situation – while hoping it would never happen. The fire department had purchased special gear designed to protect fire and rescue first responders in harm’s way in the most dangerous situations.

The area was locked down, and a massive manhunt began, hampered initially by a complete lack of evidence as Brown’s 1,200 cameras offered little help, and eyewitnesses were terrified and confused or in the hospital. The week that followed saw the Providence Police joined by the FBI, ATF, IRS, and police departments from around the state who put in thousands of hours chasing leads, rumors, and conjecture in pursuit of the shooter.

The first major break in the massive manhunt came from cameras at neighboring businesses and homes. It was a home Ring security camera that caught an image of a homeless man, who ironically ‘lived’ in Barus and Holley where the incident took place, chasing and confronting the gunman before the incident. The image was low quality, but an anonymous poster on Reddit, a social news aggregation and discussion platform, recognized the person and called the tipline.

This led to the identification of the homeless person who led authorities to a car with multiple license plates. Unfortunately, the “Why?” may never be known, as the shooter was found dead in a self-storage locker in New Hampshire.

Now come the reviews and analysis, and undoubtedly the lawsuits with their discovery and depositions that will assuredly raise even more questions. And, on the Brown side, it won’t be pretty. But they will survive… like they always do.

We hope that in this process several things will change.  Brown’s public safety department, which was already under fire, now has a giant bullseye on its back. To their credit, they have brought in the outstanding former Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements, to temporarily lead the department and oversee a comprehensive review and analysis.

One thing that we hope is a given is that Brown will dramatically expand its camera coverage, and that all colleges, independent schools, hospitals, and places of worship’s cameras will be immediately accessible to the Providence Police in an emergency.

And, then there’s the bigger picture. This sad incident has most likely blown away the payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) payment that Brown has paid the city, meaning that Providence taxpayers are once again picking up Brown’s tab, which will no doubt be in the millions. This tragedy should clearly demonstrate to all large non-profits that they have an obligation and an interest through their PILOT payments to ensure that the city has the resources it needs to keep everyone safe. And with the East Side campus, the downtown campus, Rhode Island Hospital, and Miriam Hospital, Brown must do a lot more.

As an integral part of the fabric of the East Side we’ve always enjoyed Brown’s open campus. We would encourage Brown to maintain its open campus and avoid a knee-jerk reaction and wall itself off from the community, both literally or figuratively. The city has continued to show that it stands solidly behind Brown both in times of tranquility and in times of crisis, and for that, everyone should be thankful!

Two extremely promising students lost their lives, and nine others were injured in this seemingly random and senseless attack on a quiet Saturday afternoon in the middle of the holiday season.  They can’t be brought back.