The Providence firefighters union has hired a private security firm to protect Mayor Jorge Elorza's house after threatening social media posts against him became the subject of a police investigation.
Paul Doughty, president of Local 799 of the International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO, said Tuesday the union hired Imperial Security of Johnston to guard the mayor's house at an estimated cost of $500 per day. He said he expects the security job will continue until the investigation into the threats is completed.
Doughty said the detail started at 9 a.m. Tuesday and would include one security guard in a vehicle parked around the clock outside Elorza's residence.
"We know how it feels to have your daily life disrupted and want to make sure the mayor doesn't have to experience it," Doughty said, referring to both the threats and the change in Fire Department shift structure that has plunged the union and mayor into months of conflict.
"Cost isn’t my concern," he added "I just want [Elorza] to be able to rest easy."
Doughty reiterated that he does not know who is responsible for the threats made on a Facebook page supporting firefighters in their battle with Elorza. On Monday he said the posts were not made by one of his members and he had told them such tactics were unacceptable.