Joseph E. Drury
Joseph E. Drury, 90, passed away at Cedar Crest Nursing Center on January 23, 2024.
He was the husband of the late Sybil I. (Jordan) Drury. Born in Johnston, he was the son of the late William A. and Louise V. (Moffit) Drury.
Mr. Drury attended St. Anthony Grammar School, was a graduate of La Salle Academy, class of 1951, and the RI Radio School, class of 1959. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army, as a military police officer from February 1953-February 1956. He then was employed as an engineer for the Providence Journal and was later promoted to chief engineer for the JB105/WEAN radio until his retirement in 1989. He was also a communicant of St. Gregory the Great Church.
He was the loving father of Gail M. Rock and her husband Robert; beloved grandpa of Kevin J. Rock and his wife Erin, Megan A. Rock, and Kelly M. Hill and her husband Zachary; cherished great-grandpa of Alexa, Avery, Theo and Wyatt. He was the brother of the late Mary A. Bursell, Claire F. Drury, and Louise B. Drury. He also leaves four nieces and one nephew.
Visitation will be held Sunday from 3:00-6:00 p.m. in the Russell J. Boyle & Son Funeral Home, 142 Centerville Road, Warwick. His funeral will begin Monday at 9:00 a.m. at the funeral home, with a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. in St. Gregory the Great Church, 360 Cowesett Avenue, Warwick. Graveside burial with military honors will follow in Greenwood Cemetery, Coventry. In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
PROVIDENCE − In the days leading up to the Senate’s approval Thursday − for the second year in a row − of Senate President Dominick Ruggerio’s bill on the handling of police misconduct allegations skeptics asked the same question they asked last year and the year before.
The vote was unanimous. But does this proposed rewrite of R.I.’s “Law Enforcement Bill of Rights” go far enough?
Speaking at a hearing earlier this week, Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island chapter of the ACLU, said there is much to commend in the Senate bill − including the proposed removal of the current “gag rule” on public comment by police chiefs when misconduct allegations surface.
But he said police would still hold the majority of seats on the expanded new five-member panels evaluating complaints against police. In the few states that also have LEOBORs, he said: “Rhode Island’s is considered one of the most protective of police officers accused of misconduct.”
Harrison Tuttle, the president of the Black Lives Matter RI PAC, said the legislation may rejigger the composition of the misconduct hearing panels − and let police chiefs speak more freely about pending cases − but it does not address core issues, among them: the “feeling of hopelessness” among victims.
He cited the “delayed termination” of the off-duty Pawtucket police officer, Daniel Dolan, who shot an unarmed teenager outside a pizzeria in 2021 − and ultimately left the force with $123,934 in back pay. The case became the local poster child for the LEOBOR reform effort at the State House last year.
During an emotional hours-long hearing at the State House last April, the mother of the injured 18year-old, Dominic Vincent, pleaded with the lawmakers to “tell my son he matters – tell my son his life matters.”
“BLM RI PAC strongly believes that ... police chiefs should have the authority to terminate officers when concerns about public safety arise,” Tuttle argued Tuesday. “The inability to promptly fire an officer, as in the case of Officer Dolan, should be a matter of concern for all.”
And “it’s not just a Rhode Island issue, it’s a nationwide issue ... we continue to see police brutality,”