CRANSTON — Rep. Peter G. Palumbo, the sponsor of several bills that would crack down on illegal immigration, says that twice this week people drove by his house screaming obscenities at his family.

Palumbo contacted the Cranston police who say they’re now regularly sending patrol cars past his Garden City home to check on it.

The first incident took place Tuesday afternoon, just after 2:30, while his wife, Amie, and 6-year-old son were walking in the house. Palumbo said a man driving a late-model silver Chevy Blazer stopped near the driveway.

Thinking the man was looking for directions, Palumbo said his wife walked over to the car. That’s when the driver allegedly started screaming obscenities at her and insulting her husband.

An hour later, Palumbo said his young son, who has autism, was in the front yard with his occupational therapist from the Trudeau Center in Warwick when a different car, a Volvo, drove by.

The second driver, Palumbo said, also screamed obscenities insulting “that ... father of yours and his … bill,” presumably referring to Palumbo’s proposed legislation that aims to tighten state laws regarding issuance of driver’s licenses and to make it unlawful for businesses or individuals to harbor undocumented immigrant workers. That bill, and several others like it, were presented in a contentious hearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee last night.

Palumbo said he called the Cranston police, but did not file a police report because neither his wife nor the therapist was able to get the license plate number of either car.

Cranston Police Maj. Ronald T. Blackmar said he spoke with Palumbo and that the police agreed to periodically drive by the house.

“Normally if he felt there was a concern, he should make a report on it. But in this situation, we’ve been making checks,” Blackmar said. “For now everything seems OK.”

cneedham@projo.com