If you think you‘re being exposed to sound levels that exceed Providence’s legal limits, you probably are — and you should contact city officials to ask them to address the problem. To report noise you’re hearing right now, CLICK HERE.
Otherwise, scroll down through the city’s convoluted noise-response bureaucracy, starting with the municipal agencies the mayor controls, which are responsible for enforcing local ordinances and state noise laws, and implementing public policies, to try to find the most effective point of contact.1
Navigate to: Providence Police • PVD 311 • Board of Licenses • City Council
The Mayor / Executive Branch
MAYOR BRETT SMILEY — The noise should stop here
E-mail: mayor@providenceri.gov
Mayor‘s office contact page: www.providenceri.gov/mayor/mayors-office-contact-us
Phone: (401) 421-2489
Mayor Smiley’s Twitter account: https://twitter.com/PVDMayor (@PVDMayor)
City of Providence official Twitter account: https://twitter.com/CityofProv (@CityofProv)
The mayor is Providence’s chief executive officer and is responsible for making sure the city implements its laws and policies — including noise limits. Mayor Smiley’s 2022 election campaign emphasized the need to reduce excessive and unhealthy noise in the city, and voters elected him at least partly on that basis. Thus, residents should hold him accountable for noise levels in Providence.
In addition, all of the city’s executive-branch officials and employees answer to the mayor for their response (or lack thereof) to the thousands of noise ordinance violations every year — and resident complaints about those infractions.2
So when municipal officials either ignore city noise laws or are ineffective in enforcing them, and the mayor allows that to continue, it means they’re essentially doing what he wants, and he should be judged on the outcome: He’s the boss and can rectify that.
City Agencies
PROVIDENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT — Responsible for enforcing city and state laws that regulate sources of noise
Police Chief: Oscar Perez (appointed by Mayor Smiley) — e-mail: operez@providenceri.gov
Non-Emergency Phone: (401) 272-3121 — Use this number (not 911) to report noise
PVD Police Twitter account: @ProvidenceRIPD
For the record, the Noise Project does not advocate the use of armed police officers to address excessive noise — but successive Providence mayors and City Council members clearly do, because it’s been city policy for decades, which they could change (or even just discuss) if they wanted to.3
Until the city government implements alternative proposals for reducing excessive noise, PVD residents must either simply endure unhealthy and disruptive sound levels or report them to the police.4 Reporting noise doesn’t guarantee it will be addressed effectively, but not reporting it does ensure it won’t be — and that the relatively small number of people who make most of the noise in the city will continue to have impunity to do so, which they inevitably will.
REPORT EXCESSIVE NOISE TO THE POLICE
Call the department’s non-emergency phone number: (401) 272-3121 (not 911). If possible, try to provide the civilian dispatcher with a specific street address for the source of the noise or as close as possible, so the responding officers can find it — and so the location is part of the complaint and subsequent report.5(We’ve also heard that asking the dispatcher to have patrol officers speak to you on-site may encourage a more thorough response. We are working to verify this.)
If the dispatcher’s response to your report is unsatisfactory, ask to speak to the officer in charge. If you still don’t get a satisfactory response, ask for the officer in charge of the patrol division. If their response is still not satisfactory, call Chief Perez or Deputy Chief Timothy O’Hara during a weekday at (401) 243-6109 or email their secretary at amcginn@providenceri.gov.
Police contacts for reporting more specific noise sources
- District commanders (https://ppd.providenceri.gov/find-your-local-police-station/) — If you have problems with repeat noise offenders, use the linked map to identify which of the city’s nine police districts the noise source is in, then contact the lieutenant in charge of that district to alert them to the recurrent noise location and ask them to address the ongoing problem.
- ATV Community Response Team — A special unit established to tackle illegal off-road vehicles on city streets. If you provide them with a location where ATVs are stored, the police will confiscate them.
Phone: (401) 680-8288 (680-8ATV)
E-mail: ATVtips@ProvidenceRI.gov [We recommend e-mailing them and cc’ing our info@ address] - License Enforcement Unit — Enforces regulations related to commercial licenses (see Board of Licenses below). According to a police department report, in 2023 the unit addressed 24 violations for entertainment without a license, 21 violations for disturbing the neighborhood, and 12 violations for excessively loud music.
Commander: Sergeant Vincent Sollitto
E-mail: vsollitto@ProvidenceRI.gov - Community Engagement Bureau — That title was changed from “Relations” to “Engagement” under Mayor Smiley. It’s not clear how this affected its role or scope under his administration.
Webpage: https://www.providenceri.gov/police/community-relations/
E-mail: communityrelations@ProvidenceRI.gov
Phone: (401) 680-5320
Director: Michael Stephens (retained by Mayor Smiley from the Elorza administration)
In regard to Providence Police’s community engagement, it’s worth noting that it often touts (and is touted by others for) a law-enforcement strategy known as “community policing,” the foundation of which they describe as resting on three pillars: partnership, prevention, and problem-solving.
City residents can hear (and judge) for themselves whether the police have succeeded in pro-actively preventing noise — rather than just responding to resident complaints after the fact — and solving the problem of repeat offenders, who are the primary source of excessive noise in the city.
CITY SERVICES (PVD 311) — Best for reporting longer-term noise sources such as trash collection and other commercial noise, because of how long it takes to transmit them to relevant departments
Webpage: www.PVD311.com (or www.ProvidenceRI.gov/PVD-311)
E-mail: PVD311@ProvidenceRI.gov
Twitter: @PVD311
Mobile app: Apple / Android
Phone: 311 or (401) 421-2489 Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. only (see note below)
PVD 311 is not designed to address reports of excessive noise that require a timely response (i.e., measured in minutes rather than hours or days) — it is not staffed in the evening or on weekends, and takes an indeterminate amount of time to transfer noise reports to the appropriate city departments. The PVD 311 online form itself says that if you’re hearing noise “right now,” call the Providence Police non-emergency number above.6
It is more useful for reporting longer-term noise issues, such as recurring noise from a house or business, since this creates an official record that the city government was notified about the issue.
The Noise Project recommends using the 311 website or mobile app rather than calling, so you can submit your report in your own words and retain a record of the content. (If you report noise by phone, the person who answers will log your complaint in their words, which may not accurately convey the issue you’re reporting.)
You can also create an account on PVD311 (which can be anonymous) to track your complaint. If you choose to submit a noise report without creating an account, be sure to write down the report / service-request number, so you can get updates on it by calling city services.
The 311 webpage form lists noise under the “quality of life” category — which you have to scroll down to find alphabetically — and requires both an address or location and a source type (house / business / car / city property), and solicits further details, including photos.
For recurrent sources, we suggest describing the frequency of noise violations (i.e., how often you hear it, including if possible specific dates or days of the week), the dates and case numbers of any previous reports to the police or city services, and any results (or lack of them) from those reports.
The 311 form also includes separate categories for fireworks noise, and trash / recycling vendor noise (i.e., complaints against a waste hauler operating in the city), both of which include a field for choosing follow-up contact (e-mail / phone / text / none).7 For the latter, it differentiates between residential and commercial service, also asks for confirmation of the company doing the pick-ups, and includes an option to keep the report private.
OFFICE OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS — It’s website says it “actively engages Providence residents, business owners, and community members” to “build trust” and “work with them shaping the future of our city,” but we have no idea what it actually does on a daily basis, and the director hasn’t responded to any of the e-mails we’ve sent him.
Webpage: https://www.providenceri.gov/community-relations/
Director: Anthony Aquino
E-mail: aaquino@providenceri.gov
Phone: (401) 369-4930
Civilian contacts for reporting more specific noise sources
BOARD OF LICENSES — Responsible for regulating noise from the 8,000+ commercial sources it issues licenses to each year, including 400+ liquor licenses to bars / clubs / restaurants, and enforcing local ordinances and state laws that regulate such establishments.
Chair: Dylan Conley (a holdover from the Elorza administration re-appointed by Mayor Smiley)
Board members: Peter Mancini (vice chair), Adewole Akinbi, Sylvia Bernal, Tiana Ochoa
Staff: Stephany Lopes, director of licensing; Jose Giusti, deputy license administrator
Louis DeSimone, Board attorney; Mario Martone, city attorney
Webpage: https://www.providenceri.gov/board-of-licenses/
Phone: (401) 421-7740, ext. 5206 / 5207
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 your complaint)
ARTS, CULTURE, and TOURISM (ACT) — Responsible for some components of event permits
Webpage: https://www.providenceri.gov/act/
Director: Joe Wilson Jr.
Phone: (401) 680-5770
CITY SOLICITOR’S OFFICE — The City Solicitor is Providence’s chief legal officer. Among other things, his office refers cases to the Board of Licenses and the city’s under-the-radar Nuisance Task Force.
City Solicitor: Jeffrey Dana (retained from the Elorza administration by Mayor Smiley)
Website: www.providenceri.gov/law-department/
E-mail: jdana@providenceri.gov
Phone: (401) 680-5333
NUISANCE TASKFORCE — An inter-agency entity created to “protect and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods throughout Providence” by identifying, targeting, and abating current and long-standing nuisance properties in Providence in a systematic and collaborative way, and “educate individuals and communities to prevent new nuisances.”
It includes representatives from the city solicitor’s office; the PVD Police, Fire, and Inspection and Standards departments; and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office.
The Taskforce defines a nuisance property as “Any property that, by virtue of condition, activity, or situation, poses a threat to the health, safety, or welfare of the community or that otherwise interferes with the quiet use and enjoyment of nearby properties” [emphasis added]. That would certainly include excessive noise.
Website: https://www.providenceri.gov/law-department/nuisance-task-force/
City Council / Legislative Branch
Main phone: (401) 521-7477
E-mail: council@providenceri.gov
Webpage: https://council.providenceri.gov/connect/contact-us/
City Council President: Rachel Miller (see Council member contact info below)
The Providence City Council is responsible for creating and amending the city’s laws and public policies — including noise limits — and for ensuring that the mayor and his administration actually enforce the ordinances and implement the policies it passes. It can’t simply enact laws and then completely forget about them once the vote is over.
If the City Council passes laws (including budget allocations) 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 — in other words, letting the mayor determine what the city’s laws actually are. In which case, why bother to have a City Council?
If Mayor Smiley’s administration is 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 City Council and individual members is to e-mail their official city e-mail addresses, which constitute an official city record that must be legally retained and can be requested later. This is also preferable to using the contact form on the city website, because it allows residents to include the Council members’ unofficial / personal e-mail address(es) — and the Noise Project’s info@ address, so we can track the issue — and also retain a copy of the correspondence.
| Ward | Council Member* | E-mail Address(es) / Twitter | Notes |
| 1 | John Goncalves | ward1@providenceri.gov info@JohnforWard1.com Twitter: @JohnGPVD | Fox Point and downtown Re-elected in 2022 |
| 2 | Helen Anthony Finance Committee chair | ward2@providenceri.gov helen@helenanthony.com Twitter: @CouncilHelen | Blackstone and Wayland Re-elected in 2022 |
| 3 | Sue AnderBois Environment Committee | ward3@providenceri.gov anderbois.ward3@gmail.com @sueanderbois.bsky.social | Summit Elected 2022 |
| 4 | Justin Roias | ward4@providenceri.gov JustinRoiasWard4@gmail.com Twitter: @JustinRoias | Charles / North End Elected in 2022 |
| 5 | Jo-Ann Ryan Majority Leader | ward5@providenceri.gov campaign e-mail address Twitter: @JoAnnRyanPVD5 | Elmhurst Re-elected in 2022 |
| 6 | Miguel Sanchez Finance Committee | ward6@providenceri.gov Twitter: @MSanchezPVD | 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 | ward9@providenceri.gov juan@juanmpichardo.com Twitter: @JuanMPichardo | Elmwood Elected in 2022 |
| 10 | Pedro Espinal Ordinance Committee chair | ward10@providenceri.gov pedroe1130@gmail.com Twitter: @PedroJEspinal | Washington Park Re-elected in 2022 |
| 11 | Mary Kay Harris | ward11@providenceri.gov Twitter: @MaryKayWard11 | Upper South PVD Re-elected in 2022 |
| 12 | Althea Graves | ward12@providenceri.gov Twitter: @MsAltheaGraves | Valley, Elected in 2022 |
| 13 | Rachel Miller Council president | ward13@providenceri.gov rachel.miller.m@gmail.com Twitter: @RachelRI | Federal Hill re-elected in 2022 |
| 14 | Shelley Peterson | ward14@providenceri.gov Twitter: @Shel1219 | Elmhurst Elected in 2022 |
| 15 | Oscar Vargas | ward15@providenceri.gov oscarvargas15@gmail.com | Olneyville, Silver Lake Re-elected in 2022 |
State and Federal agencies
In addition to city government officials, state and even federal agencies and officials have a role in regulating sources of noise in Providence, such as motor vehicles. If the mayor and City Council are unresponsive to complaints about noise, you can try to contact RI agencies and legislators or the regional office of the EPA.
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1 If you e-mail city officials about noise, please “cc” the Noise Project’s info@ address, so we’re aware of your issue and can follow up. This may also lead them to take your complaint more seriously.
2 This includes the Providence Police; Board of Licenses; Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism; and other city agencies with responsibility for enforcing municipal noise-related ordinances. Mayor Smiley has rejected the Noise Project’s policy proposal to designate a city employee to administer noise issues (other than the chief of staff, who handles everything).
3 Spoiler: Neither the mayor nor the City Council wants to change how noise regulations are enforced. The fact that they won’t study or even talk about doing so should tell residents a lot more than what some city officials may say about it.
4 Noise apologists / denialists often deflect the issue by claiming that people simply need to ask those making noise to be quieter, but residents’ submissions to our Community Noise Survey indicate that asking people to be quieter only resolves the issue 7% of the time — 39% report that it gets “somewhat” quieter, and 54% say there’s no change. (We didn’t include an option to indicate that it gets worse, but residents occasionally report that some people’s response is to be even louder.)
5 In addition, noise reports are logged, so contacting the police at least helps to generate official data on the location and frequency of noise in the city, which Mayor Smiley has refused to otherwise collect using sound-level monitors — despite saying (before he was elected) that he would do so.
6 The PVD311 online form also says to call the police for fireworks noise — even though the form‘s drop-down menu of noise source has a designated category for fireworks.
7 Oddly, the PVD 311 online form does not include a follow-up contact field for general noise reports — only for noise from fireworks and trash / recycling vendors.