First, condolences to Congressman Cicilline for his car getting broken into and losing personal property. But as any Providence resident knows (myself included), sadly this is a way of life in the city.

Recently, the Providence Journal’s Phil Marcelo had an article about the theft against the Congressman but one line in there also stuck out to me:

Police reported that the rear passenger side window on Cicilline’s 2002 Ford Explorer – bearing Rhode Island “used dealer” plates – was smashed.

My question is why does the Congressman’s own vehicle have used dealer plates on it? The first thought is maybe the vehicle was a loaner from a dealership, as that’s common when service is necessary. But that wasn’t the case here, Cicilline told the police that the vehicle is his own. Why does he have those plates?

RIGL 31.3.20 is about a dealer loaning out a car bearing these plates, but it says nothing about someone being able to put them on their personal vehicle.

On December 26, Congressman Cicilline’s office was contacted for answers on this, but no one has responded yet. In the same timeframe, he has also solicited donations for an election campaign that currently has no challenger.

Maybe we can try this again. Congressman Cicilline, why does your personal vehicle have used dealer license plates on it?

Update: Phil Marcelo heard back from the Congressman’s office who reported that the vehicle was in fact a loaner while his personal vehicle was in the shop. This was contrary to earlier reports that it was “his” vehicle, but he may have been referring to the loaner as his like people refer to “their” rental car.