Community Policing at the Lewiston (Maine) Police Dept.

From a satellite office at 292 Bates St. and just recently at the former Lincoln St. fire station, officers are becoming "involved" in their beats and working on neighborhood problems. This is being done with the assistance of other agencies such as Code Enforcement, Public Works, Fire Dept., Recreation Dept., school officials, Maine Dept. of Human Services, business owners, landlords, elected officials, and community leaders.

The P.A.C.E. Project's goals and objectives are to continue already initiated community projects and to expand into identified areas of need. Through the Enhanced Neighborhood Policing groups established at Centerville Commons (the Knox St. area) and the Armory Group (Lincoln St., Main St. and the back bay areas) officers are working with persons living and working there to identify problems and provide the guidance to help them solve these.

In 1995, the Lewiston Police Dept. was introduced to the philosophy of enhanced neighborhood policing. This concept was introduced by the Criminal Justice Commission which was spearheaded by Nancy Churchill.

Churchill instructed about 20 volunteer officers on the concept of Enhanced Neighborhood Policing. Officers identified a "target" neighborhood in which they elected to work within. The neighborhoods were organizations either on a geographical basis or a functional basis (i.e. school, businesses, etc.). A total of 8 monthly workshops were instructed by Churchill. The subject matter of these workshops ranged from how officers would identify neighborhood partners to various problem solving activities which utilizes the P.A.R.E. method of problem solving (Problem Definition, Analysis, Response, Evaluation).

Another way in which the. P.A.C.E. Project has had a sizable impact on neighborhoods throughout the city is in the form of "Neighborhood Block Parties." This has involved a combined effort of the police dept., recreation dept., fire dept., Lewiston Housing Authority, PAL./REC Committee, elementary schools, public works dept., DARE/GREAT Program, and ambulance service. All these organizations work together to put on a cookout where neighborhood residents come and are able to meet many representatives from the already mentioned organizations.

Officer Danny Lachance

During 1996 Block Parties were held at Hillview Housing Complex, Tall Pines Housing, Farwell Elementary School, Pettingill Elementary School, a "Day in the Park" in the spring at Kennedy Park, and the largest event our local version of "National Night Out" at Kennedy Park in August.

Members of the P.A.C.E. Project (bicycle officers) have also worked on numerous other projects during 1996 and these will continue. They include the Landlord Notification Program where officers work with landlords to identify and remedy the frequent calls for service at their tenements. P.A.C.E. Officers have worked with the Downtown Development Corporation, an organization concerned with the revitalization of the downtown area, the officers address concerns about crime and safety in the downtown area. Lastly Officers have served on the Bicycle Path Committee, which is a committee working on establishing a downtown bicycle path. Our contribution to this committee has been in the form of offering suggestions for security and safety measures.

Besides the programs and projects already detailed, the P.A.C.E. Project (bicycle unit) works as an active patrol and enforcement arm of the police department. In many instances because of their mobility on bicycles, they are able to respond more quickly to calls for service than a motor unit. Being closer to the "action" of the street allows them a keener sense of what is going on. This is enhanced by the more frequent people to people contact that they have.

This serves many purposes, two of which are the interaction with people in the neighborhood, especially the younger members whom many times they are the only positive role models these children have and also the people living in the neighborhood have a more positive feeling not only towards the police, but also in the area of security.