Lewiston council holds special meeting on youth gun violence
Lewiston City Council held a special public meeting on youth gun violence June 30 at Lewiston High School, bringing police, prosecutors, school officials, nonprofit and restorative-justice representatives, state corrections officials and residents into the same discussion.
More than 150 concerned citizens attended the meeting at the high school, 156 East Ave., according to a City of Lewiston account released July 2. The city said all Lewiston councilors were present.
The meeting did not result in an announced gun-violence program, funding appropriation, enforcement deadline or scheduled follow-up meeting. The city’s release documents the public session and presentations by participating agencies and organizations, rather than a final council policy action.
Meeting followed councilor’s request
The special session was scheduled after Ward 2 Councilor Susan Longchamps requested it, citing what the city described as a sustained increase in youth-involved gun violence.
The city did not provide incident totals, a percentage change or a time period that would quantify that stated increase. Its release also did not identify specific proposals endorsed by the presenters or the council.
Still, the meeting placed public safety, prosecution, education, youth-service and corrections representatives before a large public audience to address the issue. Those systems can have roles in the response to youth-involved gun violence, from law enforcement and prosecution to schools and youth services, though the city did not announce a coordinated program.
Police, schools and youth-service groups participated
Participants included Lewiston Police Chief Carly Conley and Androscoggin County District Attorney Neil McLean Jr. Lewiston Public Schools representatives, including the superintendent, also took part.
New Beginnings and the Restorative Justice Project were represented, along with officials from the Maine Department of Corrections. The city characterized the gathering as a discussion involving law-enforcement, prosecutorial, school, nonprofit, restorative-justice and state-corrections perspectives.
The attendance figure indicates substantial public concern, but the city did not release information identifying how many youth-involved gun-violence incidents had occurred or the number of people affected. It also did not announce new requirements or services for students, families or other residents.
No next date identified
For now, the confirmed outcome is the June 30 meeting and the public presentations by the participating officials and organizations. The city’s July 2 release does not set a date for another council session on the issue.
Any later council action, funding decision, enforcement measure or follow-up meeting would need to be separately announced. The available city account provides no deadline for those possible next steps.
Sources
- Lewiston City Council Addresses Youth Gun Violence, City of Lewiston, Maine
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