Office of the Attorney General to remain fully operational; shifts to remote work where possible While measures are being put in place to protect the health and safety of the public, the Office of the Attorney General remains committed to ensuring that the public will have access to the resources and help they need. “A central part of our mission is and remains public safety,” said Attorney General Peter F. Neronha. “We are taking important steps, in line with recommendations by the CDC and RIDOH, to protect our employees and the members of the public that we serve. We remain fully open and able to respond to the public during this time.” Effective immediately, the following plans have been implemented across our multiple divisions during this declared state of emergency, in the interest of public health and safety:

AG Customer Service Center,  4 Howard Ave. Cranston Our Customer Service Center at 4 Howard Ave. remains open and ready to serve the public. However, consistent with public health guidelines, we are reducing visitor traffic to the building as much as possible.

Effective immediately, we are prioritizing background checks as follows: Healthcare providers, such as nurses and long-term care/assisted living facility workers Individuals requiring background checks for housing First responders Individuals with urgent circumstances who need a background check for employment purposes. We ask those individuals to contact BCI first in order to make an appointment at 401-274-4400, ext. 2

All others, including those seeking background checks for volunteer positions that require a background check, are asked to postpone their visit to the AG Customer Service Center until the state of emergency has been lifted.

License to carry concealed weapon permits:  Applications/renewals will continue to be accepted by mail only Applications will be processed, however, permit cards will not be available for pickup at this time. A temporary paper permit will be mailed for use until normal BCI operations resume.

We thank the public for cooperating with these guidelines and ask that individuals visiting our customer service center follow these recommendations: Take advantage of using hand sanitizer, available at our customer service windows, before conducting any transaction. Use a credit card for any transaction to limit the amount of hand-to-hand contact. BCI will not be accepting checks or money orders during this emergency. We have a large lobby area. Keep at least six feet of space between fellow customers and do not crowd.

Consumer Protection   Our Consumer Protection Unit remains fully operational to receive consumer complaints.   Individuals should contact our Consumer Protection Unit by calling 401-274-4400, e-mailing consumers@riag.ri.gov , or filling out a complaint online here .   We are not accepting walk-in consumer complaints at this time .   Last week, AG Neronha issued a consumer advisory with resources and guidance from the office on consumer scams and price gouging. Anyone with questions or concerns should contact our Consumer Protection Unit at 401-274-4400 or consumers@riag.ri.gov .

Criminal Division   Superior Court pre-trial and trial calendars have been cancelled for the week of March 16-20, 2020, except for emergency matters. District Court pre-trial and trial calendars have also been cancelled during this time.   Bail, violation, fugitive and competency hearings, and presentment of violators will continue. RIAG attorneys have been assigned to represent the State in those hearings and plans are in place to ensure continuity.

Office Staffing At any given time, a limited number of attorneys and professional staff will be working in the Office. We have expanded telework options for our remaining staff.

Additional Operations   All outreach and training events scheduled for the remainder of March and April have been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date.   Community Office Hours at 693 Broad Street in Providence are cancelled until further notice.

We will continue to monitor and adapt to this changing environment based on recommendations from the State and health professionals.   We remain committed to serving the public during these challenging times and to working with our government and law enforcement partners to ensure public health and safety. 

Dated March 18, 2020. Information subject to change as necessary.

RI Attorney General | www.riag.ri.gov

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