By Associated Press - Thursday, January 2, 2020

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The number of homicides in Rhode Island’s capital rose slightly from last year’s historic low but remained in line with broader trends.

Thirteen people were killed in Providence in 2019, compared to 11 in 2018, the Providence Journal reported Thursday.

The number of homicides is the same as the weighted five-year average, which is still lower than numbers the city saw in previous decades. Providence also had no homicides reported from the beginning of October to the end of the year.

“Everybody’s worked hard,” said Providence Police Maj. David Lapatin. “It’s really starting to show and pay off - years of hard work to get it done.”

Officials reported that six of the dozen homicides in 2019 involved guns, with others were fatal beatings and stabbings. There was an increase in attacks involving knives - a trend investigators are closely watching.

The figure of 11 homicides in 2018 was tied for the lowest in the city in 40 years.

Police Chief Col. Hugh T. Clements Jr. credited the department’s close work with organizations like the Nonviolence Institute and Family Service of Rhode Island in making the city more safe.

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