The Lewiston Police Department hopes new surveillance cameras will help lower crime rates.
The Police Department is set to install 14 new portable surveillance cameras, funded by a $70,000 federal grant. The initiative aims to curb crime in Maine’s second-largest city by strategically placing cameras on city buildings, utility poles and street signs.
“We certainly hope that it will help reduce the call volume in those high crime areas,” Lewiston Police Lt. Derrick St. Laurent said.
He added that the cameras will initially be deployed in high call volume areas but will be moved as needed.
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The grant, received on June 17, allows the department to expand and upgrade its current surveillance systems without requiring matching funds from the city. However, St. Laurent emphasizes that the cameras are only part of the solution to reducing crime.
“We need the community to step up and help us as well, and people to cooperate in investigations,” St. Laurent said.
Community reactions are mixed.
“It is my hope that it will help lower the crime rates,” Lewiston resident Shannon Dow said.
Conversely, Bronte Barlow, another resident, voiced skepticism: “People are going to do what they want to do, it’s not going to change if they put up stuff or not,” Lewiston resident Bronte Barlow said.
Michael Kebede, Policy Counsel for the ACLU of Maine, raised concerns about potential impacts on First Amendment rights.
“If these cameras chill people’s free speech rights, then the effort to strengthen public safety has actually ended up suppressing a very important constitutional right,” Kebede said.
St. Laurent assured that facial recognition technology will not be used.
The police expect the cameras to be operational by mid to late summer.