If you think you‘re being exposed to noise levels that exceed legal limits, you probably are, and should contact Providence government officials to ask them to address the problem. Start with the city administration — the mayor’s office and the municipal agencies that he controls (see list below).
(If you e-mail any city officials about noise, please “cc” the Noise Project’s info@ address, so that we’re aware of your issue and can follow up. This may also cause them to take your complaint more seriously.)
The Mayor / Executive Branch
One of the issues that Providence Mayor Brett Smiley campaigned on in 2022 was reducing excessive and unhealthy noise, and he was elected at least to some degree on his pledge to address it. As mayor, he is the city’s chief executive officer and is responsible for how it implements city laws and policies — including regulations on noise.
Providence officials1 answer to Mayor Smiley for their conduct or inaction regarding violations of noise ordinances and resident complaints about them. So when they ignore noise laws or are ineffective in implementing them and the mayor doesn’t take steps to improve their response, it means they’re essentially doing what he wants.
Office of the Mayor
Providence Mayor: Brett Smiley
Phone: (401) 421-2489 or “311”
E-mail: mayor@providenceri.gov
Mayor‘s office contact page: https://www.providenceri.gov/mayor/mayors-office-contact-us
City Services / PVD 311: https://www.providenceri.gov/pvd-311 (mobile app: Apple / Android)
Community Relations office: (401) 680-5320
Providence official Twitter account: https://twitter.com/CityofProv (@CityofProv)
Mayor’s Twitter account: https://twitter.com/PVDMayor (@PVDMayor)
City Agencies
PROVIDENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT — Enforces local and state laws governing sources of noise.
Police Chief: Oscar Perez
Non-Emergency Phone: (401) 272-3121
If you call to complain about noise and receive an unsatisfactory response from the civilian dispatcher, hang up and call again, but ask to speak to the officer in charge. If you still don’t get a satisfactory answer, hang up, call again, and ask for the officer in charge of the patrol division. If their response is still not satisfactory, call during a weekday and ask for Chief Perez or his secretary.
District commanders: https://www.providenceri.gov/police/districts/
ATV Community Response Team: (401) 680-8288 (680-8ATV) or e-mail ATVtips@providenceri.gov
Community Relations Bureau: https://www.providenceri.gov/police/community-relations/
Police Twitter account: @ProvidenceRIPD
PROVIDENCE BOARD OF LICENSES — The License Board is responsible for regulating noise from the 8,000+ commercial sources it licenses each year (including 400+ liquor licenses) such as bars / clubs / restaurants and other businesses, and “enforcing local ordinances and state laws.”
Chair: Dylan Conley
Members: Adewole Akinbi, Sylvia Bernal, Peter Mancini, Delia Rodriguez-Masjoan (vice chair)
Staff: Stephany Lopes, director of licensing, Jose Giusti, deputy license administrator; Louis DeSimone, Board attorney; Mario Martone, city attorney.
E-mail: licensing@providenceri.gov (If you e-mail the License Board, please “cc” the Noise Project’s info@ e-mail address so we can track their response)
Phone: (401) 421-7740, ext. 5206 / 5207
CITY SOLICITOR’S OFFICE — The City Solicitor is Providence’s chief legal officer. Refers cases to the Board of Licenses and the Nuisance Task Force.
City Solicitor: Jeffrey Dana
Phone: (401) 680-5333
City Council / Legislative Branch
Whereas the mayor is responsible for implementing the city’s ordinances and public policies, the Providence City Council is responsible for deciding what those laws and policies (including noise limits) actually are — and for ensuring that Mayor Smiley and his administration actually do their jobs by enforcing them.
If the City Council passes laws but then allows the mayor to choose whether or not to implement them, it is effectively abdicating its legislative role and authority under Providence’s Home Rule Charter, and ceding it to the executive branch — i.e., letting the mayor determine what the city’s laws are. In which case, why bother to have a City Council at all?
If Smiley administration officials are unresponsive or otherwise ineffective in addressing noise, contact the City Council, Council President Rachel Miller, and your specific City Council representative to ask them to require the executive branch to implement the laws that the Council has passed.
The most “accountable” way to contact the Council and individual members is to e-mail their official city e-mail addresses, which generate a legal city record that must be legally retained and can be requested later. This is preferable to using the contact form on city website, because it allows you to include their unofficial / personal e-mail address(es) — and the Noise Project’s info@ address, so we can track the issue — and lets you retain a copy of your correspondence.
City Council President: Rachel Miller (see contact info below)
Main phone: (401) 521-7477
E-mail: council@providenceri.gov
Webpage: https://council.providenceri.gov/connect/contact-us/
| Ward | Council Member* | E-mail Address(es) | Notes |
| 1 | John Goncalves | ward1@providenceri.gov info@johnforward1.com | Fox Point, downtown Re-elected in 2022 |
| 2 | Helen Anthony Finance Committee chair | ward2@providenceri.gov helen@helenanthony.com | Blackstone, Wayland Re-elected in 2022 |
| 3 | Sue AnderBois Environment Committee | ward3@providenceri.gov anderbois.ward3@gmail.com | Summit Elected 2022 |
| 4 | Justin Roias | ward4@providenceri.gov | Charles, elected in 2022 |
| 5 | Jo-Ann Ryan Majority Leader | ward5@providenceri.gov campaign e-mail | Elmhurst Re-elected in 2022 |
| 6 | Miguel Sanchez Finance Committee | ward6@providenceri.gov | Mt. Pleasant, elected in 2022 |
| 7 | Ana Vargas | ward7@providenceri.gov | Manton, Silver Lake Elected in 2022 |
| 8 | James Taylor Finance Committee | ward8@providenceri.gov | West End Re-elected in 2022 |
| 9 | Juan Pichardo Finance Committee | ward9@providenceri.gov | Elmwood Elected in 2022 |
| 10 | Pedro Espinal Ordinance Committee chair | ward10@providenceri.gov pedroe1130@gmail.com | Washington Park Re-elected in 2022 |
| 11 | Mary Kay Harris | ward11@providenceri.gov | Upper South PVD Re-elected in 2022 |
| 12 | Althea Graves | ward12@providenceri.gov | Valley, Elected in 2022 |
| 13 | Rachel Miller Council president | ward13@providenceri.gov | Federal Hill re-elected in 2022 |
| 14 | Shelley Peterson | ward14@providenceri.gov | Elmhurst Elected in 2022 |
| 15 | Oscar Vargas | ward15@providenceri.gov oscarvargas15@gmail.com | Olneyville, Silver Lake Re-elected in 2022 |
Rhode Island and U.S. agencies
In addition to Providence government officials, some state and federal agencies have legal authority to regulate sources of noise in the city, such as motor vehicles. If the mayor and City Council are unresponsive to complaints about noise, you can try to contact RI agencies and / or the EPA.
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1 This includes the Providence Police; Board of Licenses; Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism; and other city agencies with responsibility for enforcing municipal noise ordinances.