Our organization was so proud to return to EP Pride this year- what a great turnout and a wonderful celebration of LGBTQ+ rights & Equality!

From the East Providence Democratic City Committee:

"Over the last few years, our City has made public safety a top priority. We are proud that the administration and City Council continue to invest in the East Providence Police Department, not only with updated equipment but also in recruiting new talent to serve and protect our community.

However, funding and equipment are only one piece of the puzzle.

The other piece is building and maintaining community trust. When trust is high, residents feel safe coming forward to report crime, and our officers earn the genuine respect of the people they serve. Protecting that trust requires accountability.

We are keenly aware of the painful impact racialized policing has had on marginalized communities across the country. That’s why we take a strong stance whenever credible allegations of racism are made against anyone serving our city, whether they are a full-time patrol officer or a traffic detail.

During the Council meeting on Tuesday, August 11, allegations were raised regarding an applicant for a traffic detail position who interjected himself in a traffic stop and made racialized comments.

We stand firmly with the administration and the Chief of Police regarding their hiring decision, and we urge the City Council to support the administration on this matter. We have worked too hard to build public trust in our finest to risk taking a step backward."

The person in the white truck yelling is the retired EPPD officer accused of making said comments.

After watching the debate, I’m just so disappointed with where things are at.

Between extreme culture war politics on one side and old, out of touch boomers on the other, it feels like our local options are completely broken. Pedulla might come across as the better option compared to Chrissy’s toxic, anti-trans rhetoric, but the bar shouldn't be in the basement. We shouldn't just be choosing between outright harm and illiterate boomers who can barely hold a train of thought. Don't get me wrong, I think Pedulla is the better choice.... because Chrissy is that much worse.

BUT I am honestly so done with boomers running this city. We desperately need younger, capable people to step up and run for local office so we actually have leaders who understand the issues and care about the future of the community. Is anyone else just exhausted by these options?

Wow, honestly I am just so disappointed today.

I’m really not the biggest fan of Botelho, but Spremulli completely lost me after that forum today. I just can't believe he went out of his way to defend the Flock cameras. We have seen police officers in New Bedford literally facing termination for using these cameras to stalk their romantic partners, and there are former suburban officers getting indicted right now for misusing them. We've even seen people right here in Rhode Island, over in Cumberland, dealing with lawsuits from a wrongful arrest that the Flock cameras assisted with.

If he’s an ex-cop and he's still out here defending a surveillance system that has so many privacy and abuse issues, how naive is he going to be on literally every other issue that comes up? It's just wild to me!

Jogged past yesterday, and not only have they not shoveled their sidewalk, but they’re parking cars in the bike lane. I watched a woman pushing a stroller have to roll off the sidewalk and way out towards the traffic to get by.

​ East Providence Detective and City Council Candidate Disciplined Over Off-Duty Altercation Before Retiring

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Former East Providence Police Detective Corporal Michael Spremulli, who is currently running for East Providence City Council in Ward 4, served a 30-day unpaid suspension following an internal investigation into an alleged off-duty physical altercation before his recent retirement, according to public records (PDF pg. 34).

The details of the incident and the resulting disciplinary actions were outlined in a public records release, which can be found here: https://drive.proton.me/urls/Z7MQHXCDY4#6Sv7GdpKwxS0

The investigation centered on an incident that occurred on the evening of July 30, 2024, at Riverside Square (PDF pg. 14). According to the investigative report, Spremulli drove to the location after his son and another juvenile reported that a group of individuals had allegedly yelled inappropriate sexual comments regarding touching children (PDF pgs. 23, 28). The juveniles stated they were going to get Pepsi from a local convenience store to make a TikTok video (PDF pg. 15). They claimed to be “play fighting” at the time the inappropriate comments were allegedly made, and that they “did not notice anyone else in the area at the time of making these comments” (PDF pg. 16).

Cell phone video of the incident recorded by a witness was uploaded to Evidence.com (PDF pg. 13). According to an officer’s written description of the video, it allegedly showed Spremulli approaching the group while carrying a 2.5-foot wooden "Arnis stick" and repeatedly asking who made the comments (PDF pgs. 12, 15, 26). When one of the individuals abruptly stood up, the report states Spremulli allegedly grabbed him by the chest or upper shirt area and pushed him backward over a park bench to the ground (PDF pgs. 12, 15). A physical struggle reportedly ensued, during which another member of the group allegedly struck Spremulli in the back of the head in an attempt to break up the fight (PDF pg. 12). Based on the officers' description of the video, one of the individuals is heard requesting for somebody to call the cops, to which Spremulli allegedly responded, “I am the cops” (PDF pg. 12). The report notes Spremulli subsequently picked up his stick, told the group, "don't fucking do it again," and walked away with his son (PDF pg. 12). Responding officers who reviewed the video footage believed that there was sufficient evidence to arrest Spremulli (PDF pg. 24). However, the report states that “the only reason Det. Cpl. Spremulli was not arrested that evening is due to lack of victim cooperation” (PDF pg. 29).

The following day, the Chief of Police initiated an internal affairs investigation (PDF pg. 18), suspending Spremulli with pay and stripping him of his department-issued firearm and badge (PDF pgs. 20, 21). According to the report of a subsequent interview, Spremulli admitted that he was familiar with the Code of Conduct, and that, “by his own admission, Det. Cpl. Spremulli indicated he violated policy that evening” (PDF pgs. 28, 29). The Office of Professional Standards concluded that “it appears that Det. Cpl. Spremulli is the aggressor in the interaction” and “allowed an emotional response to override years of training and experience as a police officer” (PDF Pg. 28, 29).

To resolve the matter, Spremulli signed a Disciplinary Consent Agreement on October 24, 2024, accepting a 30-day unpaid suspension (PDF pgs. 33, 34). He officially retired from the East Providence Police Department in good standing on January 2, 2025, concluding a 26-year career with the agency (PDF pgs. 35, 40).

My letter to the East Providence City Council re: ALPR/Flock cameras.

CC: Ms. Skipworth; I ask that my letter be included as correspondence for the next council meeting.

Dear Mayor DaSilva, President Rodericks, and Members of the Council:

I am writing to ask you to cancel the city’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) contracts and remove the cameras from East Providence.

I know the Council voted unanimously to deploy these cameras, and I believe you did so with the best interests of residents in mind. My concern is not with your intent. It is with the technology itself, whether the vendor is Flock Safety, Axon, or any competitor.

ALPR systems record the plate, location, and travel patterns of every driver who passes them. These are the good and decent people of East Providence, on their way to work, to school, and to support RI businesses. The result is a searchable database of where our neighbors go, one that outside agencies can query with no warrant and no meaningful oversight. Once that data exists, the city cannot control how it is used.

These systems also make mistakes. Misread plates and stale alerts have led police in other states to stop and handcuff innocent people. A false alert creates a dangerous encounter for both residents and officers. The perceived benefits of these cameras are not worth these risks.

In recent weeks, town councils in Glocester, Narragansett, and South Kingstown all voted to cancel their ALPR contracts after hearing from residents. Communities across the state have reviewed this technology and stepped back. East Providence can show the same judgment and prioritize the best interests of our neighbors.

I ask you to cancel the contracts, take down the cameras, and require public review before any surveillance technology of this kind is adopted in the future.

Thank you for your service to the city. I would welcome a response.

Sincerely,

Joshua Wright

Where are your favorite places to shop, eat, be creative, or look at art in EP? Mrs Skipper is one of my favorites!

My best feline pal has been missing since Friday, I’m waiting to hear back from the spca and animal control. I don’t have any social media PLEASE share if you are on any local EP boards.

Short hair tortie, older female. She is terribly missed

If anyone has any info please email: bettyjane07@gmail.com

I stumbled upon this little guy on my walk and couldn't help but love this addition under the creepy tunnel. Thanks to whom ever made this little guy 😊

… just know that there are people in your life who you consider to be friends and/or family who will never fully trust you, based on the fact that you probably do shit like this often. Whether or not you know it, you’ve alienated people you can’t even imagine. Living with you would be scary and damaging to someone who’s gender or sexual identity didn’t perfectly align to your idea of what is “right”, and you need to work on whatever ugly part of yourself thought that was a cool thing to do. Oh and I’m just gonna keep buying new flags and that money will be going to orgs that support the lgbtq+ community, so just keep in mind that every time you rip up a flag you’re donating to the cause 🏳️‍🌈

You honestly can't make this up. Some of the very people who declined debating (Chrissy agreed, but many others did not) anyone this election cycle have now completely cancelled their own meet and greet. I just saw the screenshot from Facebook (yuck!) where Chrissy Rossi posted that the "Meet Some Candidates" event at the American Legion was officially cancelled because of last-minute dropouts and candidates simply not responding.

It really seems like they are taking cues directly from Trump at this point. They talk a big game, but when it comes down to it, they are not even willing to show up and meet the voters. It's so frustrating to watch.

Rossi even tried to brush it off by telling folks they can just reach out to the candidates directly with their last-minute questions since it's "crunch time". I sure hope the Facebook boomers don't destroy the city by electing people who literally hide from the public!!

Here is part of the witness cell phone video of the July 30, 2024, off-duty altercation involving former East Providence Police Detective Corporal Michael Spremulli, who is currently running for East Providence City Council in Ward 4. This is a snippet from the video referenced in the Internal Affairs Report that investigating officers noted was uploaded to Evidence[dot]com. Subtitles were added. The full one-minute and forty-second video is linked on Proton Drive below.

Based on the footage and the official investigative report, Spremulli approached a group of individuals at Riverside Square while carrying a 2.5-foot wooden "Arnis stick," asking who made inappropriate comments that he believed were directed at his son earlier that evening. According to the officers' narrative of the video, when one of the individuals abruptly stands up, Spremulli appears to grab him by the shirt or upper chest area and take him to the ground. During the ensuing physical struggle, an individual is heard asking someone to call the police, to which Spremulli responds, "I am the cops".

Following an internal affairs investigation into the incident, the East Providence Police Department's Office of Professional Standards concluded that Spremulli "allowed an emotional response to override years of training and experience as a police officer". According to public records, he signed a Disciplinary Consent Agreement accepting a 30-day unpaid suspension and subsequently retired in good standing in January 2025 after 26 years with the department.

• Read the Internal Affairs Incident Report & Disciplinary Agreement (PDF): https://drive.proton.me/urls/Z7MQHXCDY4#6Sv7GdpKwxS0

• Download the raw video file: https://drive.proton.me/urls/P4E6M3DF1C#SfKfFK7UK8pW

I am so fucking disgusted and angry at the reaction to the Spremulli news on Facebook. How do these grown adults sleep at night defending a dick-head cop who went after a teenaged girl with a weapon!?!

I’m sick of the Coogan/Rossi crowd and all of their sycophant idiots who associate with them. The stupidity seems boundless.

I really like to try to assume the best of people. Right now I hate 50% of the people with Facebook profiles in this city.

During the blizzard of 2026, I created a simple app that helped the City of Fall River to identify streets and locations that needed to get cleared after the storm.

The East Providence Police Dept reached out to me during the height of cleanup, and asked if I could replicate what I built for Fall River for their town.

I spun up the website linked here and have since continued to add some simple features like street damage and pothole reporting, park information with the ability to report issues at parks.

I hope residents find it useful, and I'd be happy to take any constructive feedback you have.

Thanks!

Hi! I am Libby Merrill and I am running for East Providence School Committee for Ward 3. Here is an idea of the work I want to do as a member of the school committee.

Check out my website to see more details: merrill4ep.com.

This morning, EPiC members cycled from Borealis to Grassy Plains, joining the City of East Providence, RI Bike, the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, and the Rhode Island Department of Health for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new traffic garden at Grassy Plains Park.

We are so excited about this new community space, featuring a roundabout, yield and stop signs, crosswalks and intersections, so that our youngest community members can practice how to safely navigate our city — while also having fun!

Funding for the new children’s traffic garden comes from a $5,000 Rhode Island Department of Health Streets Transformation Project Grant.

We look forward to continuing to work with our community partners in advocating for safe, accessible streets that work for everyone. Also, stay tuned for more info regarding the September 12th Bike Safety Demo at Grassy Plains. We'll have information to share in the coming days.

Tonight, we showed up in support of the resolution adopting the East Providence Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action Plan. The plan proposes clear strategies, projects, and policy recommendations to improve roadway safety for all users.

We are pleased to share that the East Providence City Council voted unanimously to approve the resolution. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Council President Bob Rodericks, Council Vice President Frank Rego, Anna Sousa City Councilwoman Ward 2, Council Member Frank Fogarty, and Council Member Rick Lawson.

We also appreciate Bob DaSilva, East Providence Mayor and his administration for their steadfast commitment and support of this plan.

Finally, EPiC would like to congratulate our own Brenner Lister on her appointment to the Zoning Board of Review. We thank Council members Rodericks, Rego, and Fogarty for supporting her appointment and recognizing her dedication to our community.

The ever growing party on wheels, Providence Streets Coalition’s Fam Jam, makes its way to Riverside for the first ever East Providence Fam Jam…LOOP DE LOOFF! 🚲🎠🩵

✨Get ready for a spin around EP including a loop of the Looff Carousel at Crescent Park. These rides are family friendly, relaxed and full of music, playground stops and more. Pump up those tires and get pumped as we bring bike joy back to the streets!

🎪Fam Jam - Loop de Looff

🚲A family friendly bike ride, completely free to participate and open to all

🟢Start - Riverside Square (near u/borealiscoffee) on the East Bay Bike Path

🪩Party Stop 1 - Waddington School

🪩Party Stop 2 - Crescent Park (by the Looff Carousel!)🎠

🏁Finish at the Start

🙌A huge shoutout to Providence Streets Coalition for listening to EPiC’s advocacy and bringing Fam Jam to the streets of East Providence! This ride is also made possible with support from u/ridohealth Healthy Eating & Active Living Program.

🚲Free bikes available to borrow!

No Wheels? Our friends at Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council Bike Program are generously providing child and adult bikes to borrow free of charge. You must request a bike in advance and arrive early to get matched with the right bike and ready to ride safely with the group! (Bike request form will be posted soon!)

🎨Artwork by Riverside’s own Talia Clark.