April 6, 2015                                                                Contact: Colonel Stephen McCartney

For Immediate Release                                     468-4200

Avedisian, McCartney to meet with Motel 6

national corporate leadership next week

WARWICK – Mayor Scott Avedisian and Police Colonel Stephen McCartney announced today that they and the Board of Public Safety will meet next Tuesday with national corporate leadership of Motel 6 to discuss ongoing concerns relative to public safety and the numerous calls for police response to the hotel off Jefferson Boulevard.

In the past year, police have responded to 79 calls at the hotel, resulting in 75 arrests, ranging from drugs and disorderly conduct charges, to alleged sex trafficking and the alleged running of a meth lab from a hotel room.

In advance of the meeting, the motel’s national vice president of safety and security has advised Avedisian and McCartney of steps that have been taken to address the current issues at the Warwick location, including the expansion of off-duty security coverage provided by the Warwick police department; the daily submittal of their guest list; raising the minimum check-in age from 18 to 21; and completing staff training on operations and safety as well as security policies and procedures. The chain is also reviewing calls for assistance over the past year in order to make sound business decisions going forward.

“Motel 6’s leadership has assured both the Colonel and me that they are committed to addressing the existing issues at their Warwick location,” Avedisian said. “The steps they have recently taken, I believe, demonstrate their willingness to work with us to ensure the future safety and security of the motel for their guests and our community in general. We are looking forward to continuing this discussion with them next week.”