Residents urge Lewiston officials to prioritize community policing, transparency and survivor services in police chief search

City administrator opened a public‑comment session on the city’s national search for a new police chief and outlined the timeline: the position is posted through Sept. 4, interviews are expected in mid to late September, and the city hopes to name a pick by early October.

Residents used the forum to press for a chief who prioritizes relationship‑building and community policing. ‘‘I hope that the new chief has a passion for community policing,’’ said Dottie Parham Whittier, a retired city administrator, who also urged the city to solicit input from department staff and students in local schools. Linda Scott, a former councilor, said the chief should ‘‘be out there talking to the folks of our community’’ and should be prepared to ask the council for the resources the department needs.

Several commenters focused on youth and outreach. Katie Krantz, a Lewiston educator, said a successful chief will ‘‘get their boots on, hit the ground, and start running’’ by connecting with young people and creating more public events and school partnerships. Asha Mohammed, who grew up in Lewiston, urged the city to avoid criminalizing youth and to expand family‑friendly supports and prevention programs.

Speakers also urged the next chief to recognize the central role of domestic violence and stalking in downtown safety. ‘‘We need a chief that was educated around domestic violence and stalker profiles,’’ said Melissa Dine, a community organizer, who argued that many street‑level problems reflect deeper service gaps and asked for survivor‑centered, restorative approaches.

Accountability and transparency were recurring themes. Pauline Goodes said residents outside downtown feel underserved and asked for ‘‘open and honest communication’’ about shootings and overdoses; she recommended timely notifications rather than learning about incidents via social media. Several speakers raised concerns about delays in posting minutes from the July 15 meeting and asked that the city follow up promptly on outstanding records requests.

One commenter, who later identified herself as Paula Micho, described multiple arrests she said were based on false claims and asked the city to investigate the warrants that led to her March and July arrests. Micho alleged officers ‘‘kicked in my door’’ late at night and confiscated her phone; she told officials she had handed Chief Saint Pierre a complaint on July 15 and said she wanted the city to look into the warrants and the department’s response.

The administrator acknowledged hearing a range of experiences and emphasized the search will be national but that the city requires the chief to establish Lewiston residency within a year if selected. He invited commenters to follow up privately and said staff were taking notes.

The session closed with repeated appeals for a chief who will build trust, be visible across the city rather than concentrated in downtown, and work in partnership with non‑police services to address homelessness, substance use and prevention needs. The city reiterated the advertised timeline for the search and said it would consider public comments as part of the process.