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Residents, officials tell police problems prompting calls for reform in Maine too
Central Maine residents, police chiefs and other officials discuss policing in a wide-ranging virtual town hall session.
Residents and police and town officials meet in a virtual town hall Monday.
Problems that have prompted calls for police reforms nationwide exist in central Maine, residents told several local police chiefs and other municipal leaders in a sometimes heated virtual town hall session Monday.
There were some differing views expressed on whether Maine police departments need the same type of reforms being advocated for elsewhere in the country in response to police shootings and reports of discrimination.
Central Maine police chiefs, officials go online for virtual town hall sunjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sunjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Central Maine police chiefs, officials go online for virtual town hall
Instead of meeting in person, southern Kennebec County police chiefs and other municipal officials will gather for the public session at 5 p.m. Monday over the Zoom videoconferencing platform.
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A virtual listening session Monday meant to solicit input on local concerns and discuss policing issues and policies will include a captive audience comprising central Maine police chiefs and municipal officials.
Listening to and interacting with members of the community is something police chiefs would normally do in person on their municipalities’ streets and at local eateries and other gathering places in their day-to-day rounds, according to event organizers. But the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on public gatherings meant to help limit spread of the virus have severely limited social interactions over the past year.
The event will be featuring Police Chiefs Jared Mills of Augusta, James Toman of Gardiner, Scott MacMaster of Hallowell, Kevin Mulherin of Monmouth and Ryan Frost of Winthrop.
It is part of a statewide municipal police effort that ultimately will involve 110 departments in Maine to present opportunities for the wider community to engage with their local police on topics of concern, to open dialogue about policing issues in a local context, and for community members to inform policing policies.
The public is welcome and the town hall event is free, but registration is required.