How Corrupt is Rhode Island? (Providence, Pawtucket: city hall, crime, how much)

[arel]

I once heard that Rhode Island was the most corrupt state in the country.

Is this still true? Was it ever true?

How corrupt is it now? How much influence does the Mafia still have on Rhode Island government?

[mikey2]

I'd say it's corrupt. I don't know how to compare it to anyplace else however.
Our famous major Buddy Cianci just got out of prison and he was pretty good at shaking businesses down for payola.
Not that long ago my brother in law had his vehicle stolen and burned, because the club he parked near didn't "pay up". Word was that lots of cars were being smashed and burned in that parking lot.
Suffice it to say, I wouldn't put a lot of my own money into a business here.

Not to change the subject but, I'd be much more concerned about crime. Many areas of the city are outright dangerous. People come in to see me all the time and talk about gunfire in the neighborhood, etc.
Crime is much, much worse than 20 years ago... much of it goes unreported so forget the stats.

[HockeyFan]

Is the crime really that bad? It didn't seem that dangerous when I've visited...

What areas are the worst?

[mikey2]

Outside of the cities like Providence, I feel quite safe living in R.I.
Providence has had a very nice downcity renewal but don't stray too far.
South Providence is called "clown town" by its residents, for good reason.
I'm appalled at how much the areas surrounding Providence College have declined.
I work in Pawtucket, just over the Providence line, in an area which used to be considered working class....no more. I hate to even walk around there in daylight. Lots of drugs, crime, and no work.
I wouldn't discourage anyone from coming here, but I would live outside the cities.

[arel]

Actually, I was asking about the government, not about street crime, or gang activity.

I remember the scandal over the Supreme Court's Chief Justice, who was found to have Mafia connections. But it was a long time ago and I didn't pay much attention.

BTW, when I lived in Rhode Island I lived in South Kingstown. I only went to Providence when I had to.

It still amazes me how Rhode Island could be so corrupt and so progressive at the same time.

[GermanSpy]

Originally Posted by HockeyFan

Is the crime really that bad? It didn't seem that dangerous when I've visited...

What areas are the worst?

I don't want to derail this thread. But when it comes to safety in Providence...as with everything it takes some common sense. There're areas where you don't want to be walking around by yourself late at night. Even in Downtown (by Downtown I think of the business district, Kennedy Plaza, City Hall etc) you can come across a couple scary individuals after dark.

I would advise you to visit Providence again and drive around a little. You'll get a feel for the areas very quickly.

From your other posts I got the impression that you're looking for some new development in the inner city area. something close to Downtown. Be advised that this area has great nightlife but doesn't offer much other infrastructure. Downtown is not alive and populated with people who 'live' there. People come to visit Downtown for fun in the clubs and then get the heck out of Dodge again. People who actually 'live' in Downtown get their groceries from Peapod, park their car in their basement garage and don't walk around Downtown. There's a reason for that.

[HockeyFan]

GermanSpy -- thanks for the comments and advice. It's interesting to hear your comments on downtown. My next question -- and perhaps this would be best to go over to the other thread (Is Providence for me?)... but do you see the downtown furthering the resurgence, in the fashion of LoDo in Denver or other similar areas, or will it stay more as a commute for entertainment area?

[Casey3882]

Downtown Providence will always be a place to go to for entertainment, with the things they plan to do with all the new hotels the waterfront property that they will be putting up, I think it will stay the same. During the day you get the hussel and bustle of people at work, early evening the dinner crowd (very nice restaurants) and then at night the club and bar seen. There are some stange characters out at night....but don't you get that everywhere. They are trying to make Providence a tourist attraction. Are you interested in moving to any other surrounding cities?

[skytrekker]

Crime in Rhode Island and Providence is not bad- Providence is about average nationally, and the rest of the state is way below the national average.

Providence and Rhode Island have a long history of political corruption, with the 'underworld' supposedly involved. It remains to be seen if these allegations can be proven. Connecticut has seen corruption in its cities as well- especially the Mayors, and even at the top of State Government with John Rowland.

[beautyprevails]

I work with kids who have been convicted of crimes and are serving their sentences in our group home instead of the training school. Most of them are from South Providence, Olneyville, and the Chad Brown area. I would stay away from all those areas but compared to other inner cities around America, they are even quite tame. If you want to live in the city, I would stick to the East Side or Elmhurst. I live in East Providence due to its safety, proximity to Wickenden, Wayland, and Thayer, beautiful green areas, and the waterfront they are redeveloping. I feel if you have common sense, you will be safe.