[0:24] Mic check. Mic check.
[0:44] Hello. Welcome to our uh Tuesday evening
[0:48] special council meeting on youth gun
[0:49] violence. We're going to kick things off
[0:51] as we always do with the pledge of
[0:52] allegiance. And uh we are grateful to
[0:55] have uh Lieutenant St. Laurent here who
[0:57] will lead us in the pledge.
[1:15] and justice for all.
[1:22] » Thank you very much, Lieutenant. I
[1:23] appreciate it. Uh, okay. Thank you all
[1:26] for coming. Uh, here's a quick rundown
[1:29] and then we'll get started. So, we are
[1:31] going to hear from, uh, presenters. They
[1:33] are Lewon Police Chief uh Carly Connley,
[1:36] Andrew Scoggin County District Attorney
[1:38] Neil Mlan, Lewon High School
[1:40] Superintendent Jake Langless, New
[1:42] Beginnings Executive Director Chris
[1:44] Bicknell, Duncan Pierre, and Christine
[1:47] Thibo from uh the Department of
[1:49] Corrections. So, we will hear from each
[1:51] uh presenter. the chief, as you can see,
[1:53] uh will go first and then the council
[1:56] will have time for questions. Uh and
[1:58] then we will uh work through the
[2:00] presenters and then uh I'll give uh some
[2:03] time for the council to to weigh in with
[2:05] their with their thoughts and then we
[2:07] will head to uh public comment in an
[2:09] orderly fashion. If we can keep uh
[2:12] chatter in the in the hall to a minimum,
[2:14] if you need to talk, please text
[2:16] yourselves or uh or head out to the
[2:18] lobby. And this is also being broadcast
[2:20] online. Uh if you miss any part of it,
[2:22] uh you'll be able to watch it later. Uh
[2:25] thank you all and uh Chief, off to you.
[2:31] » Thank you for having me. Uh I I want to
[2:33] just start by saying thank you to
[2:35] everybody for uh taking the time to come
[2:37] out here this evening and and talk about
[2:39] this and and hear about this. It's it's
[2:40] a pretty pretty important topic. Um so
[2:43] again, I want to say thank you for
[2:45] taking the time out of out of your
[2:47] summer evening to come hear about this.
[2:50] Um, so basically what I'm going to do is
[2:52] I'm I'm just going to speak a little
[2:54] bit. I have I have a uh slideshow and
[2:56] I'm just going to go over some of the
[2:58] issues that we're seeing um what I would
[3:00] call, you know, the boots on the ground
[3:03] level um as far as what law enforcement
[3:05] is seeing. Um
[3:12] so the first slide you're you're going
[3:15] to see here is um just our shooting
[3:18] statistics. Um, we've had in 2026, we've
[3:21] had 19 shootings. And in this slide,
[3:25] what we're looking to just show you is
[3:27] sort of the comparison. Um, as far as
[3:29] last year, it's actually the same as
[3:31] last year. Um, we break it down by
[3:34] month, and you can see that, um, in
[3:37] April of this year, we really had a a
[3:41] quite a bit of an increase in our
[3:43] shootings.
[3:49] This next slide talks about um the adult
[3:53] versus juvenile involvement in our
[3:55] shootings. Um I I think we've been
[3:57] pretty open about that. Um we've really seen a quite quite a rise in
[4:03] shootings um involving juveniles. So in
[4:06] 2026, we have had seven shootings that
[4:09] have involved adults. Um and then we've
[4:12] had 12 that have involved juveniles.
[4:19] some of the 2026 shooting statistics for
[4:22] the PD. So, this is this is what we look
[4:24] at when we're looking at um what
[4:26] shootings were solving, our clearance
[4:28] rates um along with uh gun seizures uh
[4:32] at the police department. So thus far in
[4:36] 2026 uh we have solved 13 of the 19
[4:40] shootings which equates to 68%.
[4:43] Um and one thing of note for that
[4:47] one thing for note of that that I I
[4:49] would I would touch on is that the
[4:51] national average clearance rate for
[4:54] shootings uh is 31%.
[4:57] Uh
[4:57] >> we need to put in a full mode instead of
[4:59] the slides instead of no. Hold on one
[5:03] sec.
[5:08] I'll do the
[5:11] » one that's
[5:12] >> we're trying to help here.
[5:13] >> Okay. Thank you.
[5:14] >> Full mode. Sorry, I'm leaving.
[5:17] >> Yep.
[5:25] >> Give us one second, please.
[6:51] Did we just stay on the screen that we
[6:53] were on?
[6:54] >> The display settings are at the bottom
[6:56] of the
[7:03] or they're at the top there. Yeah, it's
[7:07] different on our screens because we're
[7:09] streaming this week. So,
[7:10] >> there we go.
[7:12] >> Thank you.
[7:13] >> We made We made it. Thank you. Chief,
[7:16] please continue.
[7:16] >> Right. We'll start again. [gasps]
[7:21] » All right. So, um the slide we left off
[7:25] on was uh the shooting clearances and
[7:27] gun seizures at the police department.
[7:29] As I mentioned, um for 2026, we've
[7:32] solved or cleared uh 68% of our
[7:35] shootings. Um, obviously we'd like to
[7:37] solve all of them. That that's our goal.
[7:39] Um, but, uh, as I mentioned, we're, you
[7:42] know, double more than double the the
[7:44] national average in that in that regard.
[7:46] So, we've been very fortunate. Our staff
[7:47] has done a great job at at really
[7:49] investigating these and trying to bring
[7:51] them to closure. Um, out of those
[7:54] shootings, we've had eight adult arrests
[7:57] and 19. So, you're looking at more than
[8:00] double um, juvenile arrests.
[8:03] In 2026, the Lewis Police Department has
[8:06] seized uh 44 guns. 41 of those handguns
[8:10] and then three rifles and shotguns. And
[8:12] the one thing I'll mention about that is
[8:14] when we talk about gun seizures, those
[8:16] are actual criminal cases where we seize
[8:19] guns. Um not not guns that we, you know,
[8:23] have because of protection from abuse
[8:25] orders or yellow flags or things like
[8:27] that. These are true uh criminal cases.
[8:32] So as I mentioned, as you saw in the
[8:35] slide, uh you know, the true increase uh
[8:38] that we noticed was uh in April, right,
[8:41] for shootings, we had nine shootings in
[8:43] April. Um so as a result, uh we respond
[8:47] our response to that um was to one of
[8:50] the things we did is we increased foot
[8:52] patrols in the city. um in the month of
[8:54] May and June alone, we did more than 50
[8:59] foot patrols in the city of Lewon. Um
[9:02] reallocated our patrol and specialized
[9:04] units. So we have a community resource
[9:07] team. We have a crime reduction unit. Um
[9:10] so so we moved that around. We moved um
[9:12] some of the you know detectives
[9:14] divisions around and really focused on
[9:15] specific areas, specific times of day,
[9:18] things like that. Um also worked with
[9:20] our federal partners that are in the
[9:22] building. We've conducted saturation
[9:24] details in the city. Um and then the
[9:27] results of of that in May and June, um
[9:31] we had 28 arrests, 21 juveniles, seven
[9:35] adults. We seized 11 guns and five of
[9:38] those were found to be stolen. And the
[9:40] thing that I'll just point out here in
[9:41] regards to the juveniles, uh five repeat
[9:45] offenders in just just one month's time
[9:47] frame.
[9:51] some of the resources and investigative
[9:53] tools that that we use and that we work
[9:55] with as an agency. And obviously this
[9:57] doesn't encompass all of them, but um
[10:00] you know, one of one of the things that
[10:01] we have at at our agency that we're the
[10:03] only police department in the state that
[10:05] has uh basically every federal partner
[10:08] in our building. Um so a lot of police
[10:12] departments in around the state have
[10:13] what they call task force officers. So
[10:16] they assign those officers, patrol
[10:18] officers or detectives um to work with
[10:21] federal partners. So it could be DEA,
[10:24] ATF, Homeland Security. Uh we do the
[10:27] same. FBI is another one, but every one
[10:30] of those individuals has an office space
[10:32] at RPD. So that's a huge resource to us
[10:35] because it makes a diff it's the
[10:36] difference between walking down the hall
[10:38] and knocking on someone's door and
[10:39] saying we have a case that we think
[10:42] might be a good federal case versus
[10:44] calling them in Portland and trying to
[10:46] coordinate that way. Um the other thing
[10:50] that that we we have been very fortunate
[10:52] um to have is our flock system. Um our
[10:56] automatic license plate reader. uh this
[10:59] year alone since we've had it, it's
[11:00] assisted in solving six shootings and
[11:03] recovered three guns. And that's just
[11:05] the shootings and guns. It's it's been
[11:07] involved in in helping us with
[11:09] kidnappings, domestic violence, uh you
[11:11] name it. It's been a huge resource.
[11:14] And then one of the other things, we
[11:16] don't have this yet, but we're we're
[11:17] pretty excited about getting it. Uh we
[11:19] received this uh this was budgeted and
[11:22] it's called the Skyio first responder
[11:24] drone. Um, so we should be getting that
[11:27] within the next few months. And what
[11:30] this drone does is it has the ability to
[11:33] connect to our dispatch system. So we
[11:36] can set it up. So for example, if we say
[11:39] we want this thing to respond to
[11:40] shootings, we want this thing to respond
[11:42] to assaults in progress, whatever we
[11:44] decide we want it to respond to
[11:46] automatically, it's GPS coordinated.
[11:49] when dispatch gets that call, that drone
[11:52] responds from our station is on scene
[11:54] before an officer can get there. Um, so
[11:56] that's that's a huge resource to us. It
[11:59] also we you can set it to patrol problem
[12:01] areas. So if we're having an issue, for
[12:04] example, I can think of one area uh Park
[12:06] Street recently has been an issue for
[12:08] us. Uh, we can we can set that drone to set up in that area at a certain time
[12:14] of day and it'll just patrol that area.
[12:16] It's it it's it's eyes. It's a for us
[12:18] it's a huge force multiplier. We're 11
[12:21] officers down. Um so we do the best that
[12:23] we can with with the staff that we do,
[12:25] but this will be a huge resource for us.
[12:29] Um
[12:31] community engagement, connections,
[12:33] resource sharing. We have a community
[12:35] resource team and I and I use the word
[12:37] team lightly. Um as I just mentioned,
[12:41] you know, we're down 11 officers and we
[12:43] actually have one out injured. So we're
[12:44] down 12 officers. um we have one
[12:48] supervisor and one officer that is
[12:50] assigned to that unit. Uh historically
[12:52] we had three officers and a supervisor.
[12:54] So we're hopeful that we can get some
[12:57] men and women to come work for the
[12:58] police department and and get that that position or that that that unit as
[13:03] a team um shortly. Uh but they they do a
[13:06] lot of work with the little personnel
[13:09] that they have in there. And this is
[13:11] obviously this is just a few things um
[13:14] that that I wanted to highlight that
[13:16] they do. Um one of the things that we're
[13:19] working on this year with the community
[13:20] resource team is called uh Beyond the
[13:23] Badge event and we're we're hopeful um
[13:26] that this is going to be an annual
[13:28] event. They've worked on this. It's
[13:29] going to be July 23rd in Smart Pain
[13:32] Park. Um and it's really it's going to
[13:35] involve first responders. We're going to
[13:37] have the police department there. We're
[13:39] going to have UAS there. We're going to
[13:40] have the fire department there. We're
[13:41] going to have Lifellight there. Um, and
[13:44] it it's really just an event with with a
[13:46] bunch of activities uh for the
[13:48] community. And and like I said, we're
[13:49] hoping that this is a great engagement
[13:51] tool and and really sort of uh just the
[13:54] foundation for for something that we can
[13:56] continue to do on a yearly basis.
[13:58] Um, one of the other things that
[14:01] we've done this year, uh, and I hate to
[14:03] keep saying it, but you know, we're down
[14:05] a lot of officers. So the challenge for
[14:07] us when we're down a lot of officers is
[14:09] um the officers are overworked
[14:11] sometimes. They're working overtime.
[14:13] We're not able to fill all of our
[14:14] special assignments to their their you
[14:17] know normal fulfillment. Um so we wanted
[14:20] to come up with something where we were
[14:23] still serving the community as much as
[14:24] we can in the capacity that we're able
[14:26] to. So we created a program this year
[14:29] that that is set to to kick off in uh
[14:32] July. Um, and it it's a community
[14:35] policing program for officers. So,
[14:37] they're going to be given a certain
[14:39] amount of time where they can choose
[14:43] events or activities. Um, some of those
[14:46] will be coordinated by the community
[14:48] resource team. So, they can be examples
[14:51] would be, you know, out on we'd like you
[14:53] to go out on bike patrol, you know, in
[14:55] the downtown streets or on Lisbon Street
[14:57] for these two hours. We'd like you to
[14:59] play basketball at Kennedy Park. we'd
[15:01] like they're going to come up with some specific events that the officers
[15:05] will be able to participate in and then
[15:07] the officers will also have the
[15:09] opportunity to create their own events.
[15:12] So, and when I say that is we have
[15:14] officers with a variety of skill sets.
[15:16] We al have officers that coach soccer,
[15:19] we have officers that coach baseball,
[15:20] basketball, that that like music. Um so,
[15:23] we're going to give them the opportunity
[15:25] to sort of make that community policing
[15:27] their own and meet with the community in
[15:29] that capacity.
[15:31] Um, some of the other things that the
[15:33] community resource team does is they
[15:36] work with the LA child and family
[15:37] well-being collaborative. These are
[15:39] meetings with many of the community
[15:40] programs to discuss resources or arrange
[15:43] education or outreach. They work with
[15:45] the CDC office of injury and violence
[15:47] prevention.
[15:49] Uh, main gun safety coalition and
[15:51] project child safe. And then again it
[15:54] this outreach, education and resource
[15:56] sharing it it touches a lot of things
[15:58] but I want to just highlight a few.
[16:03] So one of the things that we looked at the police department or we have been
[16:07] looking at um when it comes to the
[16:10] violence. So obviously the first step we
[16:12] see that we have we have an increase in
[16:14] shootings. Then we've broken it down.
[16:16] We've determined okay we have an
[16:17] increase in shootings and it seems to be
[16:19] specific to juveniles. Um, so one of the
[16:23] things we look at is what are the
[16:25] obstacles and and really what the
[16:27] obstacles are for that we're seeing is
[16:30] juvenile repeat offenders,
[16:32] [clears throat] lack of accountability
[16:33] in the juvenile system, challenges with
[16:36] detaining and committing juveniles, a
[16:38] large increase in non-competent
[16:40] designations based on age, trauma,
[16:43] things along those lines, and then lack
[16:46] of mandates. Youth intervention, sorry,
[16:49] I can't read this whole thing here.
[16:50] youth intervention services for youth
[16:52] involved in the system and or found to
[16:54] be non-competent and resources for
[16:56] family assistance.
[17:01] So as an agency uh what our response to
[17:05] these obstacles have been um obviously
[17:09] we have the initial response right like
[17:11] our primarily our primary primarily goal
[17:15] for a police department is enforcement
[17:17] it's to protect and serve but the
[17:20] reality is is that
[17:22] we want to solve the bigger issue right
[17:25] because really what we're seeing is
[17:27] we're sort of putting band-aids on a
[17:29] bigger on a bigger issue. Um, so we've
[17:32] really we've really in the past couple
[17:34] months had I hate to say it, but a ton
[17:37] of meetings with people with the other
[17:38] stakeholders, right, that have an
[17:40] investment in the system because this
[17:42] really is a system issue. It it's so
[17:45] layered. Um, so so some of the things
[17:47] we've done is we've had coordination
[17:49] meetings with the DA's office and the
[17:50] JCCOs's. We had a briefing with uh
[17:53] Senator Susan Collins. We then had a
[17:55] coordination meeting with the US
[17:57] attorney, Andrew Benson, along with
[17:59] district attorney McClean. Uh we had a
[18:02] briefing with uh one of the main
[18:04] senators, Bruce Bickford and his staff.
[18:06] We had a meeting with new beginnings
[18:08] director Chris Bicknull. Um and then we
[18:10] have meetings scheduled with additional
[18:12] members of the main senate and other law
[18:14] enforcement stakeholders. Uh and then
[18:16] some of the other things that we've done
[18:17] is we've we've attended every community
[18:19] listening session that's involved gun
[18:22] violence and and wanted to hear from the
[18:24] community and other stakeholders. Um one
[18:26] of those was put on by the main wire um
[18:28] at Calvary Church and then we just
[18:30] attended another one uh last week at
[18:33] Gather to Grow that was put on by Mir
[18:35] and um COA.
[18:39] So, one of the things that we just
[18:42] wanted I wanted to bring up is is some
[18:44] of the uh common misconceptions. And I
[18:47] and when I say common misconceptions,
[18:49] these are just things that sometimes we
[18:50] hear from the public and sometimes we
[18:52] hear, you know, why can't you do this?
[18:54] Why? So, one of two of the big things is the city ordinance thing. And and
[18:59] what we have is we have a curfew and
[19:01] that's a city ordinance violation. Um,
[19:04] and I think it can be a common misnomer
[19:07] that the city can create ordinances that
[19:10] help enforce. And while they do, they
[19:13] still don't trump state statute, right?
[19:17] So, a city ordinance is a great tool for
[19:19] our officers in all honesty. Um, it it's
[19:22] it gives us the ability to stop and talk
[19:25] to kids who are out late at night past
[19:27] curfew, but the reality is there's not a
[19:30] lot of teeth long term behind that,
[19:32] right? So what happens is they get a summon for the curfew
[19:36] violation. They go back home to mom and
[19:37] dad and there ends up being a $30 fine.
[19:40] So an ordinance really can be associated
[19:42] with a fine. It's not associated with
[19:44] any sort of um detainment or anything
[19:47] along those lines. And then the other
[19:49] thing that we hear a lot is criminally
[19:51] charging parents. That parents should be
[19:54] able to be criminally charged. And the
[19:56] reality is is we can only charge people
[19:58] for statutes and laws that exist on the
[20:01] books. Right? So, I cannot deal with a
[20:04] juvenile that commits an assault and
[20:06] then charges parent because the juvenile
[20:08] committed the assault. The reality is we
[20:10] just don't have the authority to do
[20:11] that.
[20:15] Um, some of the community
[20:16] recommendations that we have, um, the
[20:19] big one is see something, say something.
[20:21] Uh, you know, we rely heavily on
[20:25] technology today. Um but the reality is still the best type of uh we we can't
[20:33] be everywhere, right? So we need the
[20:35] support of the community. When you see
[20:37] something suspicious, when you see
[20:39] something that doesn't look right, call
[20:41] us um so that we can we can look into
[20:43] it. I mean, we had I can give an example
[20:45] of three or four weeks ago where
[20:47] somebody called and said this there's
[20:50] three juveniles hanging around. One
[20:52] displayed a gun. They provided a
[20:55] description. They didn't need to give
[20:56] their name. They didn't we didn't need
[20:58] to talk to them. They gave a great
[20:59] details. The officer went to that area,
[21:01] found the juvenile, got the gun, it was
[21:03] stolen, recovered. Um, so we that's
[21:06] important to us for commu the community
[21:08] to to report things. And I think one of
[21:11] the big things people get concerned
[21:12] about is um
[21:15] not not wanting to to, you know, wanting
[21:17] to be anonymous. And there's there's
[21:19] three different ways that you can do
[21:20] that. We have you have the ability to
[21:22] call dispatch. you can call dispatch or
[21:24] 911 and say, "I don't want my name. I
[21:27] don't don't tell them who my who I am."
[21:29] And they won't. Um, and just give them
[21:31] the information and they'll dispatch an
[21:32] officer to that location and just try to
[21:34] provide them as much detail as you can
[21:35] about that. Um, and then there's a
[21:38] reporter tip online that we have and
[21:40] there's also a anonymous tip line that
[21:42] we check on a regular basis that you can
[21:44] call the police department at and all of
[21:46] these are on our website. Um, and then
[21:50] one of the other things is I would say
[21:51] is, uh, parents are authorized to search
[21:53] their kids' rooms. Parents are
[21:55] authorized to be parents. They're in
[21:57] control of their family and their
[21:58] household. And you need to know where
[22:00] your kids are, know what they're
[22:01] involved in, and if you think
[22:02] something's up, something's probably up.
[22:05] So, they have the authority to to check
[22:08] their kids' rooms, search their kids'
[22:09] rooms, and if they find something that
[22:11] shouldn't be in their kids' rooms,
[22:13] they're always welcome to call us and we will deal with it.
[22:17] Um, and then the other big thing is
[22:20] secure your firearms. Um, you know,
[22:23] people talk about where where the guns
[22:26] come from, right? But the reality is is Maine is a gun-friendly state.
[22:31] It's a source state. So, a lot of people
[22:33] legally own guns. And there's nothing
[22:35] wrong with that. But what we see a lot
[22:38] is guns being stolen from cars that
[22:40] aren't secured. like that is very
[22:43] important to us to if you're going to
[22:44] own a firearm securely um keep that
[22:47] secure
[22:52] solutions and I know we don't have them
[22:54] all um but really what we found um in in
[22:59] what we've and we're certainly not the
[23:01] experts on every level. I think you you
[23:03] all are going to hear from some experts
[23:05] in on levels that that we don't operate
[23:08] in on a daily basis here tonight and I'm glad they're here. Um but I think
[23:13] this really comes down to legislation
[23:15] and policy. Uh I believe the state of
[23:17] Maine is in need of policy and
[23:19] legislative change that will increase
[23:21] accountability mandates for youth who
[23:23] are involved in violent criminal
[23:25] offenses.
[23:26] And I think that youth invent
[23:28] intervention services that's that's a
[23:31] piece of this too. We need effective and
[23:33] sufficiently funded youth intervention
[23:35] services to exist and be available as
[23:38] resources to the juvenile criminal
[23:40] justice system as mandates that youth
[23:43] involved in violent criminal behavior
[23:44] are required to participate in.
[23:49] » That's all I have.
[23:52] >> Thank you very much, Chief.
[23:56] if we can hold our our applause. Thank
[23:59] you. Uh thank you very much, Chief.
[24:01] Appreciate you being here. Appreciate uh
[24:02] many members of the department here and
[24:04] your entire department service to our
[24:05] city. Thank you. Uh we will take
[24:08] questions from the council and we're
[24:09] just going to go down the line starting
[24:11] with uh uh councelor from num uh from
[24:14] ward one. Councelor Martell, do you have
[24:15] anything?
[24:18] » W
[24:21] seven.
[24:21] >> Thank you. Thank you. Well, we will
[24:23] still start with seven and we we're
[24:24] going to flip that. Councelor from W 7.
[24:27] Um, councelor Martell, do you have
[24:28] anything?
[24:31] Thank you. Uh, councelor from W 6.
[24:34] >> Go ahead.
[24:36] >> Councelor Martell said not at this time.
[24:38] >> Right.
[24:39] >> Thank you, sir. Um, I had originally
[24:42] mailed questions, email questions to all
[24:44] of the presenters, but the one that I
[24:45] want to ask Chief Connley, do you have
[24:47] any sense as to what makes Lewon the
[24:51] attractive location for this kind of
[24:53] behavior? We don't see this in many
[24:54] other communities in Maine, and yet you
[24:57] allude to Maine being a gun-friendly
[24:59] state, which it is. Why is this
[25:01] happening in Lewon? Why have they chosen
[25:04] us to bless with this kind of behavior?
[25:07] Thank you.
[25:09] I honestly don't have the answer to
[25:11] that.
[25:14] » If I could, Mr. Mayor, if anyone in this
[25:16] room has the answer to that, that to me
[25:19] seems like one massive step towards
[25:21] solving this problem if we can figure
[25:23] out what is encouraging this behavior
[25:27] and stop that encouragement. Uh there
[25:29] are a lot of different pieces to that,
[25:30] but that seems to me to be key. Thank
[25:33] you.
[25:35] Uh, Councelor Noble,
[25:38] >> she already answered my question. It was
[25:40] about foot patrols. Thank you.
[25:42] [laughter] Yeah, no problem.
[25:43] >> Sounds good. Thank you. Uh, Councelor
[25:45] Roy, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, Chief
[25:48] Connley, thank you for that. Um, couple
[25:50] of questions that I came up with uh
[25:52] during your presentation. Um, and I
[25:55] think I know the answer to this one, but
[25:56] I want to put it out there for
[25:57] everybody. Can a city go above and
[25:59] beyond what the state has on the books
[26:02] for laws as far as charging juveniles?
[26:04] Can can the city as a body come up with
[26:08] maybe some laws to hold
[26:13] that's the the the path we want to go.
[26:16] So they can come up with ordinances, but
[26:18] they they'll never be more restrictive
[26:20] necessarily or or punitive, I guess, is
[26:22] the word I would I I would say than a
[26:26] state statute. And and District Attorney
[26:29] Mlean may be able to answer that a
[26:30] little bit better, but
[26:32] >> and I will ask that when at that time.
[26:34] Um that's one of them. Um I do have a
[26:37] couple more that I saw.
[26:40] Okay, right here. Now, can you hear me?
[26:43] now? Oh, wow. Hey. All
[26:45] right. [laughter]
[26:47] Usually I have this booing voice.
[26:49] Anyways, all right. What happens if um
[26:52] parents are scared to search their kids'
[26:55] rooms? What can they do for assistance?
[26:59] >> I mean, we would certainly assist
[27:02] parents with that if they they needed
[27:04] our help. Um I
[27:08] we are always a phone call away and and
[27:10] we we have officers that you know if it
[27:13] it's some we have a community resource
[27:15] team we do have avenues that if they're
[27:18] uncomfortable calling you know the 911
[27:22] emergency line that that we can connect
[27:24] them with somebody.
[27:26] >> Thank you. Um let's see.
[27:30] Actually I will hold with that. If I
[27:34] think of any more, I'll try to come
[27:35] back. Thank you,
[27:38] >> Councelor Harman.
[27:40] >> My questions have been answered. Thanks,
[27:43] >> Councelor Long Champs.
[27:45] >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, I just would like
[27:47] to thank you uh for being here tonight
[27:49] and presenting all that you all the
[27:51] facts. Um, I really don't have any
[27:54] questions. You've answered most of the
[27:56] uh questions that I would have asked.
[27:57] Thank you.
[27:59] >> Uh, and last but not least, now the
[28:01] councelor from 111. Councelor Nene.
[28:03] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, thank you,
[28:05] Chief, for being here today. Um, I I do
[28:07] have two questions. Um, one is, um, the
[28:12] escalation of crime. So, basically, we
[28:15] deal with quite a bit of, uh, um, joy
[28:18] riditing in the city, and I'm wondering
[28:20] if there's any indication that there's
[28:22] crossover from uh, let's say car
[28:25] burglary and and and um, u joy riding
[28:29] into uh, some of these gun crimes. I
[28:31] think is there a connection so to speak?
[28:34] I
[28:35] >> I I would say for the most part no. Um
[28:37] there may be a few cases, but uh I
[28:40] agree. We we've definitely had an
[28:42] increase in uh stolen motor vehicles uh
[28:44] specifically with the youth this year,
[28:46] but we don't necessarily see them the
[28:48] same groups being involved. Okay.
[28:50] >> There may be a little bit of crossover,
[28:52] but not for the most part.
[28:53] >> Okay. And and the second thing and I and
[28:55] I just I don't know if you you're able
[28:57] to verify this or not, but from my
[28:59] understanding
[29:00] five of the arrestes this year um were
[29:03] age 20 um young adults of which um three
[29:09] of them had uh aged out of the foster
[29:12] care system and one of them had been
[29:14] involved in a shooting when when he was
[29:17] 18 as well. Um, and I believe all of
[29:20] these uh children had had struggles
[29:23] within the LPS as well. So, I'm just
[29:25] asking if there's like a connection
[29:27] between
[29:29] uh maybe the continuum of care for
[29:31] people who are struggling in our
[29:32] community uh to the adult crimes that
[29:35] they were also committing most probably
[29:37] as as juveniles.
[29:39] >> So, I I can't speak to all of what you
[29:41] mentioned. I'd have to research that,
[29:42] but I can tell you that I can think of a
[29:45] few off the top of my head that we've dealt with and charged as adults
[29:49] that we dealt with as being involved in
[29:52] shootings as juveniles also.
[29:55] >> Okay. Thank you very much,
[29:58] Councelor Roy. Back to you. Let's see if
[30:00] this is on. All right, cool. Thank you.
[30:03] Um, one of the things I don't remember
[30:05] if we've done this before. Have we ever
[30:07] had like a
[30:09] gun buyback program? Has that ever been
[30:11] done?
[30:12] >> Oh,
[30:16] » no. So, we have not. And I and I can
[30:18] tell you that we have looked into that.
[30:20] We've talked with ATF. We've talked with
[30:22] some of the individuals that do that.
[30:25] Um, and there are some challenges with
[30:27] that. And, uh,
[30:30] what they've seen in the past is is not
[30:33] necessarily getting the guns back that
[30:35] they'd be looking for. um you what what
[30:39] they see is, you know, shotguns and, you
[30:42] know, grandparents rifles that people
[30:43] are hanging on to that they're turning
[30:45] in. They're not they haven't seen um the
[30:48] results that you we would be looking
[30:50] for, the handguns being turned in that
[30:52] are involved in violent crime.
[30:54] >> Thank you.
[30:56] >> Uh any other counselors have anything?
[31:01] >> Chief, thank you so much for being here.
[31:02] >> Thank you.
[31:04] We will now
[31:06] if we can hold uh audience applause and
[31:09] everything else. Thank you. Uh we now
[31:11] have uh Neil Mlan.
[31:37] DA MLAN, thank you so much for uh for
[31:39] joining us.
[31:46] » Well, thank you all. It's a a pleasure
[31:48] to be here with you, unfortunately, to
[31:51] discuss a difficult topic that's uh a
[31:55] big problem in uh Lewon and we're trying
[31:58] to get a hold of it. Uh but I do
[31:59] appreciate being invited to uh
[32:02] participate in the conversation and
[32:03] offer some information uh from the
[32:06] district attorney's office. I do like to
[32:08] begin these conversations about violent
[32:11] crime increases, whatever is happening
[32:13] in Lewon, uh just to say uh that I hope
[32:17] everyone appreciates it would be much
[32:18] worse than it is right now if we did not
[32:21] have Lewon PD doing a fantastic job with
[32:24] the limited resources you just
[32:31] heard uh Chief Connley talk about. That
[32:33] is a serious issue. Uh but nonetheless,
[32:35] I know they're out there every night and
[32:37] all day long uh working on this issue. U
[32:41] so I was asked I I guess first to just
[32:44] talk about uh what the DA's office does
[32:47] uh to give a breakdown of of what that
[32:50] is. Uh and I think it's most easily
[32:53] described as our primary role primary
[32:56] role is to uphold the law, protect
[32:58] public safety, and pursue justice on
[33:00] behalf of the community. Uh that's what
[33:02] we do every day. Uh we try to do the
[33:05] best job that we can, but that is uh
[33:07] what we're tasked with doing. Uh we work
[33:09] very closely with law enforcement. We
[33:11] work with Lewon PD on a regular basis.
[33:14] Uh we handle every criminal case that uh comes uh
[33:20] through District 3. District 3 is Oxford
[33:23] County, Andrew Goggen County, and
[33:25] Franklin County. Uh but we handle every
[33:27] criminal case other than murder and some
[33:30] of the drug uh felony drug charges. Uh
[33:33] everything else is ours. Uh it is a lot
[33:35] of cases. Uh we work with Lewon PD. We
[33:38] also work uh and I think it's important
[33:41] to keep in mind with 30 other law
[33:43] enforcement agencies. So with the
[33:45] limited resources we have, we're not
[33:47] just supporting Lewon. We're supporting
[33:49] every town and every a law enforcement
[33:52] agency across three counties. Uh and
[33:54] that is important to remember. Uh
[33:56] because we too have some resource issues
[33:58] and I'll get to that momentarily. Um
[34:01] what it is we do with every single case
[34:04] that comes through uh is we are
[34:06] specifically tasked with reviewing and
[34:08] filing charges uh we're responsible for
[34:11] all the discovery related to those charges uh which is an
[34:19] increasing task on our office uh in the
[34:22] current era of litigation. Uh but we
[34:25] have to review all charges. We're
[34:27] responsible for all the all the
[34:28] discovery that comes in. We think about
[34:30] law enforcement collecting evidence uh
[34:33] which is true uh and law enforcement
[34:36] does not work to me for me. They have a
[34:38] very capable chief here in Chief Connley
[34:40] and every department has their own chief
[34:42] but we are none the none nonetheless in
[34:44] the eyes of the court. We are
[34:46] responsible for law enforcement. Uh so
[34:48] we are responsible for every piece of
[34:50] evidence that comes out. Something's
[34:52] missing. It's not right. It's us in the
[34:55] DA's office and the case itself uh that
[34:57] suffer. Not suggesting that's an issue,
[34:59] but it's another uh large task that
[35:01] we're responsible for. Uh in every case,
[35:05] we're responsible for negotiating all
[35:07] cases prior to trials. Uh we conduct all
[35:10] hearings and trials of every case that
[35:12] go to hearing or trial. Uh we support
[35:14] every victim and survivor. Uh very
[35:17] limited resources and the staff that we
[35:19] have to do that. Uh but we're
[35:21] responsible for uh every bit of that
[35:23] task as well. uh we're responsible for
[35:26] all of the sentencing that happens if
[35:28] we're successful at a hearing or trial
[35:30] or plea negotiation and we handle every
[35:33] appeal and postconviction review that
[35:35] comes through. So those seven tasks all
[35:38] in and of themselves uh very uh uh
[35:42] detailed and um uh uh timeconuming tasks
[35:47] we take care of with every individual
[35:49] case uh in D3 district 3 right now uh
[35:54] that includes about 3
[35:58] uh 20 uh 3,250 cases uh that we're
[36:03] responsible to do every one of those
[36:04] things for every one of those cases.
[36:06] Uh so it's a huge case load. Uh
[36:10] and uh that just describes the cases
[36:13] that are pending before the court. That
[36:14] does not include all of the filings, all
[36:17] of the different proc uh cases that we
[36:20] process that don't get plugged into the
[36:22] court. So your prosecutors are busy
[36:24] every day uh most weekends and well into
[36:28] the evening hours uh trying to keep up
[36:30] with this task. Um, and this is all
[36:33] important to the the violence and
[36:35] because it goes to the resources we have
[36:38] to apply to any individual uh task that
[36:41] we try to be involved in. Uh, we have 16
[36:44] prosecutors uh to handle those 3,250
[36:47] cases. Two of those are drug
[36:49] prosecutors, so they only handle drug
[36:51] cases, which means we really have 14
[36:54] prosecutors uh to handle all of those
[36:56] cases. Just by way of a quick
[36:59] comparison, uh we are the third busiest
[37:02] court in the state right now. Uh Lewon
[37:05] dis uh Lewon Court is uh and if you look
[37:08] at uh D1 uh district 1, which is York
[37:12] County, they have 19 prosecutors. If you
[37:15] look at Cumberland County, they have 20
[37:17] prosecutors. So we're at a disadvantage
[37:19] just based on the numbers we have. But
[37:21] what makes it even worse uh is we can't
[37:24] compete right now uh due to pay par uh
[37:28] pay parody and uh uh quite frankly case
[37:32] loads and a desire to be a prosecutor in
[37:34] today's day and age. We don't see the
[37:36] same passion any longer, the same desire
[37:38] to join our office. Uh so right now with
[37:41] that same case load number I talked to
[37:43] you about, we have eight prosecutors
[37:46] across all of district three. Uh that
[37:49] means that my deputy uh who's in the
[37:52] back of the room is we don't we don't
[37:54] have a prosecutor in Oxford County right
[37:56] now. Uh so the deputy deputy uh Josh
[37:59] Klein Golden is pretty much covering all
[38:01] of Oxford County. I'm covering Farming
[38:04] uh Franklin County solo and that leaves
[38:07] six prosecutors to handle the third
[38:09] busiest court uh in the state. Uh those
[38:13] uh 1,833
[38:15] of the cases are specific to Andrew
[38:17] Goan. Uh what we have done uh because we
[38:21] are aware of the gun problem uh in
[38:24] addition to all the other problems is we
[38:26] have created a unit of sorts or we've
[38:29] assigned two of our best prosecutors to
[38:32] assist Lewon PD uh with all gun violence
[38:35] cases. Uh so if you imagine we only have
[38:38] six, we're assigning two just to this
[38:40] issue right here. They also have to
[38:43] carry a case load outside of this. Uh
[38:45] but they are primarily tasked with this.
[38:47] They're available to law enforcement 24
[38:49] hours a day. They're on call. Law
[38:52] enforcement has their numbers. Uh so
[38:54] they're taking calls at 2 or 3 in the
[38:56] morning when these gun cases arise. Uh
[38:58] they're helping with search warrants. Uh
[39:00] but they're deeply involved. Uh and
[39:02] again, that's the best we could do with
[39:04] the limited resources. We have two
[39:05] prosecutors assigned. Uh Deputy Klein
[39:08] Golden also helps out with that. The two
[39:10] prosecutors are uh Alexander Winter uh
[39:14] and Brie White and they do a fantastic
[39:16] job of addressing this in the best way
[39:18] that they can uh with the limited
[39:20] resources.
[39:22] What do we need to do an even better
[39:24] job? Uh we need more prosecutors. Uh
[39:28] it's as simple as that. We need at least
[39:30] another prosecutor in all three
[39:32] counties. we could use two new
[39:34] prosecutors uh in Andrewskogen County
[39:37] just to be able to keep up with the
[39:38] cases. So, what you'll hear sometimes is
[39:41] people will say, "Well, just lower your
[39:43] case load. It's up to you. You you're
[39:45] the one that uh puts the cases into the
[39:47] court uh processes and files them." But
[39:50] that's not really true. That's a lazy
[39:52] answer. And I'm uh glad to have that
[39:54] conversation with the people that say
[39:55] it. Uh because we don't pick crime. We
[39:58] charge crime when Lewon or any other
[40:00] department sees it. They don't pick
[40:02] crime. They're not out there committing
[40:04] it. They're addressing it when it's
[40:07] committed. And it's our responsibility
[40:09] to support them and support you all. And
[40:11] we do it. Uh we don't uh refuse to uh
[40:15] prosecute any type of crime. Uh because
[40:18] I've heard loudly from all of you that
[40:20] you don't want me to do that. Uh so we
[40:22] put our cases forward. Uh we do the best
[40:25] we can, but we need more prosecutors. uh
[40:28] eight prosecutors for a district like this is impossible. Uh we
[40:33] have lost a prosecutor uh to a better
[40:36] paying job in another state uh pro uh
[40:39] another state criminal law office, the
[40:41] uh public defenders office. Uh we lost
[40:44] out on a higher uh because they could
[40:47] simply make more money and work a much
[40:50] smaller case load. Uh we've lost a
[40:52] prosecutor to uh the what we refer to as
[40:55] the contract attorneys because the state
[40:56] of Maine pays them $150 an hour. Uh the
[41:00] prosecutor we lost was making just shy
[41:02] of $40 an hour. Uh so we lost uh that
[41:06] prosecutor. Uh we lost a prosecutor, one
[41:10] of the best prosecutors we had. Uh one
[41:12] of uh arguably as good a prosecutor as
[41:15] there is in the state. Uh we lost that
[41:18] prosecutor to burnout. And before
[41:20] anybody thinks burnout is, you know,
[41:23] something someone should be ashamed of,
[41:26] it's really not. Uh the case loads are
[41:29] overwhelming. And what you'll see with
[41:31] prosecutors who really care is they care
[41:34] about their cases. Uh there's an ethical
[41:37] requirement that we do our job uh in
[41:40] every case uh to protect the rights of
[41:42] the the ch the accused, the victims. Uh
[41:45] we represent the court. Uh, and as I
[41:48] said, we have those massive obligations,
[41:50] seven different obligations with each
[41:52] individual case. And when a prosecutor
[41:54] feels like they're failing at their uh,
[41:57] ethical duty, it creates u u
[42:02] it it can be really demoralizing, but
[42:05] when you're dealing with three or 400
[42:08] cases, uh, three or 400 cases, uh, it's
[42:11] also overwhelming. So, add all of that
[42:14] up. Uh and sometimes uh it it can get
[42:17] the best of uh the best of us. Uh and
[42:20] we've lost prosecutors for all those
[42:22] reasons and we're having some difficulty
[42:24] filling them. Again, going back to the
[42:26] pay parody, because we can't compete.
[42:29] When I go to hire somebody and I tell
[42:30] them, "Come work for me. I'll pay you
[42:33] much less and give you a much bigger
[42:35] case load." Nobody's all that
[42:36] interested. Uh and they know it. Uh they
[42:39] know they'll make more money in the
[42:41] other offices. They know they'll have
[42:42] less cases. they'll have a better
[42:44] quality of life. Uh and it's a really
[42:47] difficult time to be a prosecutor uh
[42:49] criminal prosecutor and we need the
[42:51] legislaturator's help uh with that
[42:53] issue. Uh both the new prosecutors and
[42:56] the pay parody. I I can say just
[43:00] ironically, I did just receive a a text
[43:04] uh from somebody in the legislature who
[43:07] has worked with us in the past and they
[43:09] still understand the need to address
[43:11] this pay parody and have just just now
[43:13] suggested they will revisit it. Uh but
[43:16] we need that to happen. Uh or we're
[43:18] going to lose more prosecutors and we're
[43:20] going to not and we're not going to be
[43:21] able to fill the spots. Um,
[43:24] so I I think with with that in mind, we
[43:27] have a wonderful relationship with Lewon
[43:29] PD and most of our police departments.
[43:32] Uh, we have had a few of the prosecutors
[43:35] go on the saturation details with them
[43:38] to get out there and be with them to
[43:39] answer legal questions or to see what
[43:41] they're doing, uh, to understand what
[43:43] they're doing. We've had people within
[43:45] our staff who are county employees as
[43:47] well as prosecutors do ride alongs. We
[43:49] think it's important to know what Lewon
[43:51] PD is doing and be able to uh experience
[43:54] it so when we see their cases, we better
[43:56] appreciate uh what we're seeing. Uh
[43:59] we've met with them, as Chief Connley
[44:01] pointed out, to discuss uh gun violence,
[44:04] uh juvenile incompetency,
[44:07] uh and drugs, and everything else within
[44:09] the community. We regularly communicate
[44:11] and work together. Uh we've met with our
[44:13] federal partners. Uh they've offered
[44:16] some ideas that we'll follow up on. Uh
[44:20] in particular with the juvenile
[44:21] competency issue which is playing a big
[44:23] role. Uh some thoughts on how maybe uh
[44:26] we should be looking at our own experts
[44:28] to combat uh some of the uh evaluations
[44:31] we're seeing. Uh we'll look into that.
[44:34] But we are constantly working to do
[44:36] better uh in the areas where we think
[44:38] we're lacking. Um,
[44:46] so I I guess other than that, again,
[44:48] we've when we get back to the jun, so we
[44:51] do not have a juvenile prosecutor in any
[44:54] of the three counties. Uh, you have Josh
[44:56] Klein Golden, myself, and a couple of
[45:00] other people who assist uh when we need
[45:04] it, but you don't have anybody dedicated
[45:06] to it. We should have a dedicated
[45:08] juvenile prosecutor. Uh because we're so
[45:11] overwhelmed, we don't get to do the
[45:12] training some other people get to do.
[45:14] Training opportunities pop up and it's
[45:16] like, well, geez, you have court that
[45:17] day. We don't have anybody to cover
[45:19] court that day. Uh so we're falling
[45:21] behind in some of the training that's so
[45:23] important to keep up uh with the latest
[45:25] strategies and the latest developments.
[45:27] Uh but again, your prosecutors are
[45:29] showing up every day uh to work and
[45:31] working really hard in the face of all
[45:34] of this. Uh, so I'm a fan of the work
[45:37] they're doing. I know you don't get to
[45:39] see it every day and sometimes you see
[45:40] the outcomes and you're not happy, but
[45:42] boy, if you saw how they got to the
[45:44] outcome and how hard they're working, I
[45:46] think you'd be a fan as well. Uh, they
[45:49] do a a tremendous job with uh very
[45:52] little. Um
[45:54] we've looked uh one of the prosecutors
[45:57] who is really dedicated to this issue uh
[46:00] provided me with some
[46:03] uh some educational uh programs that we
[46:06] should consider and we'll look into
[46:07] those. I think one of them is uh called
[46:10] uh the great program and it's a gang
[46:12] resistant education and training program
[46:15] where you can use uniform law
[46:17] enforcement to work with uh elementary
[46:19] and middle school kids to talk to them
[46:21] about how to avoid this kind of
[46:23] behavior. Uh I think some of these may
[46:25] be federal programs. So we'll look at
[46:27] funding. Uh we certainly don't have
[46:30] funding for it. We're funded by the
[46:31] county. Uh there's the OJJDP which is
[46:35] the Office of Juvenile Justice and
[46:36] Delinquency. Uh that is another
[46:38] organization we've heard of recently uh
[46:41] that we may see if there's anything they
[46:43] can offer us. Uh these would be for
[46:45] programs to deal with children after
[46:47] they've been involved or maybe even
[46:50] before uh like like the great program
[46:52] that would be maybe a a proactive
[46:55] approach. Uh and there's a focus
[46:57] deterrence program as well that we'll
[46:59] look into. Uh so those are things we
[47:02] will continue to look into into try to
[47:04] do a better job. Uh the last thing I'll
[47:06] say, and we've talked uh about the
[47:07] juvenile uh gun program, is we hear a
[47:12] lot of people talk uh about the
[47:14] children. Uh and I went to a meeting uh
[47:17] a couple a week or so ago and I heard
[47:21] somebody say that the children are not
[47:22] the problem. So when these cases arise
[47:26] on my desk, the children are the
[47:27] problem. And they're not children,
[47:29] they're juveniles. we should call them
[47:30] what they are because when you call them
[47:32] children or kiddos which I see way too
[47:35] often you're minimizing the significance
[47:38] of what they're doing. Uh so I am a
[47:41] single voice within the system. I'm not
[47:44] saying the pro other prosecutors don't
[47:45] do the same thing but we don't have the
[47:47] support uh for maybe some of that
[47:49] ideology with others. But I think we
[47:52] should be calling it what it is. These
[47:55] uh juveniles have committed very serious
[47:57] crimes uh that endanger the lives of
[47:59] other people in the community. They they
[48:01] endanger their own lives. Uh some of
[48:03] these kids that are involved in it or
[48:05] these juveniles, sorry, they're involved
[48:06] in it. Uh they may be the shooter one
[48:09] day, they'll be the victim the next day.
[48:11] Uh so we have an obligation to all of
[48:13] them. And I think we're failing them if
[48:15] we continue to treat them like children.
[48:17] The other thing we need to do is we need
[48:19] people in elected positions to take this
[48:21] serious. Uh not fight amongstel each
[48:24] other or themselves not uh be divisive
[48:28] in nature. Uh we need people to come
[48:30] together and go this is a problem. We
[48:32] need to unify to come to terms with how
[48:34] we address it. Uh stop blaming it on
[48:37] specific groups but also stop pretending
[48:40] it doesn't exist where it does. uh we
[48:42] have to call uh you know if you know
[48:44] where it's happening, who's involved, uh
[48:47] we need to call that out. How do we fix
[48:49] the problem if we're uh not addressing
[48:52] the regions or the areas that the crimes
[48:55] are occurring? Uh we need to be
[48:56] professional and thoughtful about it. Uh
[48:59] but we also can't uh be divisive when we
[49:02] try to make a difference in those
[49:03] communities because those communities
[49:05] deserve their children to be safe and to
[49:07] live. uh they don't want their children
[49:10] to die at the hand of a juvenile with a
[49:12] gun. But we need to be open about the
[49:15] conversation. It's not a politically
[49:16] correct conversation. Uh we need to have
[49:19] it. We need to be honest about the
[49:20] language. Uh we need to be honest about
[49:23] the facts. Uh and we need to uh do our
[49:26] very best to address it. Uh because the
[49:28] way I look at it is I'm a father of four
[49:30] kids. My four kids are your kids.
[49:34] neighbors, friends at the playground,
[49:37] they may be your college friends
[49:39] someday. They may be your colleagues.
[49:41] We're all in it together. Uh there is no
[49:44] distinction. A gun doesn't know a
[49:45] distinction. A bullet doesn't know a
[49:47] distinction. Uh we as the leader should stop making those distinctions.
[49:52] We should be addressing it for the
[49:53] problem that it is and being honest
[49:55] about where it's happening, what's
[49:57] happening, because that's how we're
[49:58] going to fix it. And uh the last thing,
[50:03] remember there was an old saying that it
[50:04] takes a community to raise a child. I
[50:07] never really agreed with that. I
[50:09] understand the concept. Uh the community
[50:11] does need to provide uh things to make
[50:14] the community safe, playgrounds,
[50:17] athletic fields, but the community does
[50:19] not need to raise the child. The child
[50:21] needs to be raised by their parents. And
[50:23] we need to start expecting that parents
[50:26] will be more involved early on because
[50:28] if the parents are doing the best that
[50:30] they can. If they need some support, we
[50:32] should be there to give it. But that's
[50:34] where a juvenile's life
[50:38] or track begins. And if they get out in
[50:41] the world and they've never been told
[50:42] no, they've never been told what you're
[50:44] doing is wrong, they've never been
[50:46] punished by their parents for do
[50:48] misbehaving, they're not going to listen
[50:50] to me. They're not going to listen to
[50:51] Lewis and PD. they're not going to
[50:52] listen to anybody in this room. Uh, and
[50:54] that's the problem we're running into
[50:56] right now. There's very little respect
[50:58] for Lewon PD when they're out there.
[51:00] Very little respect for us in the
[51:02] courtroom, very little respect for the
[51:04] courtroom process itself much of the
[51:06] time. I think all of that begins in the
[51:10] home. Uh, and it goes to if you're
[51:13] seeing guns, you've got to call that in.
[51:15] Look out for your own children. Give
[51:16] them the guidance they need. uh we'll
[51:19] deal uh with it uh the best we can in
[51:22] providing services and resources, but
[51:25] once it again once it arrives on my
[51:27] desk, I'm I'm the mean step parent
[51:29] because it's now time to start talking
[51:32] about accountability, responsibility,
[51:34] and uh punitively what needs to be done
[51:36] to make sure these kids don't kill
[51:38] somebody or kill themselves. Uh and
[51:41] lastly, Carly was so right. People need
[51:44] to fund this stuff. we don't have a lot
[51:47] of money. But if we don't start changing
[51:49] some of the laws and statutes out of
[51:51] Augusta, and if we don't start funding
[51:53] the resources we need, those two things,
[51:56] if we don't do it because we don't like
[51:58] to spend money, we might as well just
[52:00] watch this escalate even further. Uh so
[52:02] we need people to take it serious in
[52:05] Augusta, we need them to help us out uh
[52:07] with funding and statutes. I'd love to
[52:10] revisit the competency statute. Uh the
[52:13] chronological immaturity is a concept
[52:16] that I really struggle with. I think it
[52:18] I will read a incompetency evaluation
[52:21] and go great kids competent. I'll get to
[52:25] the last two pages and chronological
[52:27] immaturity will undercut it almost every
[52:29] time. We should revisit the definition
[52:31] at the very least. Remove it. I'm all
[52:33] for that. I know that won't have a lot
[52:35] of support, but we need to start doing a
[52:37] better job. Remember juveniles, we're
[52:40] not hurting them when we hold them
[52:42] accountable. We're helping them because
[52:44] we're keeping them from continuing to do
[52:47] the things that are going to hurt
[52:49] somebody else or themselves.
[52:55] » Thank you,
[52:57] >> Dan Mlan. Thank you very much for being
[52:59] here and thank you uh for your entire
[53:01] team and all the work you guys do. I
[53:02] appreciate it. Uh we're going to start
[53:04] on this side of the table. Ward one.
[53:06] Councelor Nene, did you have any
[53:08] questions?
[53:10] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, yeah, I I do.
[53:13] Uh, about the uh uh funding sources. So,
[53:17] the county pays for um staff at the DA's
[53:22] office.
[53:23] >> It does. It's we are a hybrid office is
[53:26] how I refer to it. The attorneys are all
[53:28] state employees. And I'd love to change
[53:30] this as well. Uh I'd love to be have us
[53:33] all under the state umbrella so we can
[53:34] properly be funded, but instead uh the
[53:38] attorneys are are funded by the state.
[53:41] Everything else is funded by you all,
[53:44] the count the the county of uh Andrew
[53:46] Scoggin, Oxford, and Franklin, which is
[53:49] a huge burden to put on you all. We do
[53:51] our best not to be uh to spend a lot of
[53:53] money, but we know uh reassessments are
[53:56] out there, taxes are high, people don't
[53:58] have a lot of money, and uh we're asking
[54:01] for money to be able to do what we need
[54:02] to do. Uh and it comes from the county.
[54:05] Uh so not specifically from Lewon, but
[54:07] as I understand it, Lewon pays a big
[54:09] chunk of that county budget.
[54:10] >> We not only pay a big chunk of the
[54:12] county budget, but it also increased by
[54:14] 20% this year um for for our taxpayers.
[54:18] Are there cases in which municipalities
[54:21] pay for for instance an attorney?
[54:24] >> The attorneys are all uh licensed and uh
[54:28] we are all part of the attorney
[54:29] general's office. Uh we've had Lewis
[54:32] we've had police departments very kindly
[54:34] offer to off we'll give you a
[54:37] prosecutor. We'll put it right here in
[54:38] our our building. Uh but it it's not
[54:41] something we can do to the best of my
[54:42] knowledge and if we did we need the
[54:44] approval of the attorney general. And the last question I have is just so
[54:48] when cases come to you, juvenile cases
[54:50] come to you, they're they're handled uh
[54:53] only as criminal cases, correct?
[54:56] Are there referrals to is there any
[54:58] system of uh family or juvenile courts
[55:01] that are that are not uh
[55:06] I I assume normally you're dealing with
[55:08] only felonies. Um if you could just
[55:10] speak to to how that's divided out. No,
[55:13] that we we deal with every juvenile
[55:15] crime that comes in. Uh we have juvenile
[55:18] community corrections officers who
[55:19] oftentimes will review the cases, the
[55:21] low-level cases in advance. And I should
[55:24] I I think it's worth noting we have some
[55:26] really incredible juvenile community
[55:28] corrections officers here in Andrew
[55:30] Scoggin County. I know they work really
[55:32] hard uh and they're very supportive of
[55:34] what we do and they've met with Lewon
[55:36] PD. Uh but they will review cases uh
[55:40] some of the low-level cases up front.
[55:41] they may handle them through resources
[55:44] and uh uh diversion programs before they
[55:47] even get to our uh desk. But if a
[55:49] juvenile doesn't cooperate andor there's
[55:52] a history there, uh we get everything
[55:54] from uh disorderly conduct to a bag
[55:59] assault with a weapon. Uh the
[56:00] interesting thing about the juvenile
[56:02] system as well is you can get the same
[56:04] sentence for all of those. uh they carry
[56:06] classifications on the just like they
[56:08] would with the uh adult, you know, class
[56:11] ABC D or E. Uh but you can get the same
[56:15] sentence for a class E disorderly
[56:17] conduct that you can get for a class A
[56:19] offense, which is uh a commitment. Uh so
[56:22] it's it's a completely different beast,
[56:23] which is why we need a prosecutor who
[56:27] really understands the code, title 15.
[56:30] Uh and right now uh we understand it but
[56:34] we're not uh we're switching gears to
[56:36] adult adult uh juvenile adult juvenile
[56:39] and it's really something that deserves
[56:41] specific focus.
[56:45] » Councelor Long Champs.
[56:47] >> Thank you, Mayor.
[56:49] [clears throat]
[56:51] » Thank you so much uh for being here and
[56:54] sharing all of the information that you
[56:56] did. Um that it was a lot it's a lot to
[56:58] digest.
[57:00] Um, I think you have said it very direct
[57:04] and very clear. Uh, your office is doing
[57:07] everything they can uh when criminals uh
[57:10] get to your desk, but you're lacking
[57:13] staff. Um, and I think a lot of that, as
[57:17] you shared, is uh pay scale. Um, the
[57:21] truth is is Augusta needs to do better.
[57:24] Um,
[57:26] we're saying that as loudly as we can.
[57:29] You hear that we're suffering here in
[57:31] Lewon. You hear our date, our DA's
[57:34] office basically crying out that they
[57:37] are overloaded.
[57:39] If you don't help us, shame on you. So,
[57:43] the person that sent you the text, which
[57:45] you do not have to share the name with
[57:46] me, nor am I asking you to, but I hope
[57:50] that as soon as you leave this table,
[57:53] they set up a meeting with you because
[57:55] we need it. Thank you.
[58:02] And I know this wasn't a question, but I
[58:03] do
[58:04] >> Sorry. Go ahead. Uh
[58:05] >> I just feel like it's I I'm speaking
[58:07] about Andrew Scoggin because uh that's
[58:10] where we are. Uh and that's what you all
[58:11] care about. Uh but I do think it's
[58:13] important to say this is true of every
[58:15] district attorney's office. Uh they all
[58:17] need uh help. So it's a much broader
[58:20] problem. Uh and I just think it's
[58:21] important uh especially when other
[58:23] people are listening that people don't
[58:25] think I'm saying this is just our
[58:27] problem. uh the help is most necessary
[58:29] because it affects every prosecutor's
[58:32] office across the state.
[58:34] >> Council Long Champs.
[58:35] >> Thank you, Mayor. Um so I would also
[58:38] just like to say that um I I don't think
[58:41] this is just a problem that's happening
[58:43] in Lewon. I think it's, you know,
[58:45] happening throughout our state. So
[58:47] again, uh this the the state needs to do
[58:50] better in helping. Thank you.
[58:54] >> Councelor Haramman, did you have
[58:56] something?
[58:57] Yes, thank you. Thanks for being here.
[58:59] Um, I wondered if I could learn more
[59:02] about the non-competent designations.
[59:04] Um, who makes those and what happens
[59:09] when that designation is made and are
[59:11] you seeing that happening at a different
[59:14] rate than in the past or has it been
[59:17] fairly steady?
[59:19] >> So, it's different from when I handled
[59:22] juveniles 15 years ago. So yes, uh I
[59:25] haven't done juveniles specifically
[59:27] uh for about 15 years. So when I don't
[59:30] know how recently it's changed, uh but
[59:33] this this system uh and the way the
[59:36] evaluations are interpreted uh does seem
[59:39] very new to me and I could be wrong. It
[59:40] could be 5 to 10 years old, but it's newer than when I last did it. And
[59:45] I think what's problematic about it is
[59:48] uh it runs through some of the same
[59:51] criteria uh that the adult system would do. The ability to help your
[59:55] attorney to understand the charges to
[59:57] understand what people are doing uh to
[59:59] be able to communicate with your
[1:00:00] attorney to appear in court. Uh all of
[1:00:03] those things just like they might be in
[1:00:04] the adult analysis are there. But those
[1:00:07] are the parts that I regularly
[1:00:10] that I see frequently I should say uh
[1:00:14] seem to be met. But the juvenile what I see that's different uh is that
[1:00:19] chronological immaturity component. And
[1:00:22] I think when they get to that uh again
[1:00:25] if I'm speaking freely it I mean
[1:00:26] sometimes they'll include things like he
[1:00:29] the child the juvenile misbehaves at
[1:00:32] school. They have a they don't pay
[1:00:34] attention. And I'm thinking you just
[1:00:36] described my children. Uh but what
[1:00:39] ultimately happens is it turns into a
[1:00:40] non-competent because of an age. And I
[1:00:44] think that's really dangerous. Uh
[1:00:46] because we're failing the kids when we
[1:00:47] do that. Understand I'm not picking on
[1:00:50] uh the people that are making the
[1:00:51] analysis or the good heart or the uh
[1:00:54] intention behind it. I just really
[1:00:56] believe and we're seeing the escalation
[1:00:58] now that we're failing the children if
[1:01:00] that's what you want to call them, the
[1:01:01] juveniles, the kids. Uh but it's really
[1:01:05] that component. Uh it can be trauma. It
[1:01:07] can be trauma you experienced when you
[1:01:09] were three years old. Uh that you know
[1:01:12] now 15 or 10 14 years later uh they're
[1:01:17] using as part of an analysis uh to find
[1:01:20] incompetence. I my assessment is and
[1:01:23] it's state forensics uh that does it's a state um entity. uh and again I'm
[1:01:32] not picking at any individual analysis
[1:01:35] an uh evaluator
[1:01:38] uh but uh they do them uh they make
[1:01:40] their analysis they're very educated
[1:01:42] they know they know that uh the
[1:01:44] psychology and all of those things that
[1:01:46] uh one might say I don't uh but I also
[1:01:50] feel sometimes that what I'm actually
[1:01:51] seeing are juveniles duping uh
[1:01:54] malingering doing
[1:01:57] saying what needs to be said to get to
[1:01:59] an outcome come uh and once we get to
[1:02:01] that outcome uh I think it starts to
[1:02:05] become a slippery slope uh if they make
[1:02:07] that finding of incompetent
[1:02:10] u and we we get to revisiting it I think
[1:02:13] it's 60 days 180 days a year uh but
[1:02:18] after the year and and that's if they
[1:02:19] find there's a substantial likelihood uh
[1:02:22] that they they might be able to be
[1:02:24] competent so they have to make that
[1:02:26] finding as well um and that is in there
[1:02:30] a lot. The part I don't understand is
[1:02:32] you see a 13-year-old kid uh get that an
[1:02:36] analysis and when I read it, the reason
[1:02:38] they're finding is chronological
[1:02:40] immaturity. And I am not a doctor, but
[1:02:43] I'm thinking in a year they're going to
[1:02:45] be 14. They're still going to be
[1:02:46] incompetent. I don't even know why
[1:02:48] you're putting us through the nonsense
[1:02:49] of uh they might be because really it's
[1:02:53] 14 and under. I've seen them in that 15
[1:02:56] to 16 range using the same language. Um,
[1:03:00] and I I just think it's a system that we
[1:03:03] should all take a step back, relook at
[1:03:05] it, apply it to the way uh, children,
[1:03:08] juveniles, adolescence are acting today.
[1:03:11] Uh, and really ask ourselves if we're
[1:03:14] helping them uh, or if we're not just
[1:03:16] making more excuses for them. Because
[1:03:18] this is the the other thing I'll say
[1:03:19] about that, councelor Haramman, is the
[1:03:23] other thing we see, and I we see this
[1:03:25] way too often, is somebody will be
[1:03:28] incompetent, put back out on the street,
[1:03:30] put right back in the same environment
[1:03:31] they just came from, the same
[1:03:33] neighborhood, the same family, the same
[1:03:35] friends, nothing's changed. We're
[1:03:37] setting them up for failure. They fail
[1:03:39] again. Uh we've seen it where and I
[1:03:41] think Chief talked about someone who'd
[1:03:43] been caught and released five times.
[1:03:44] We're seeing incompetence one two uh
[1:03:48] times uh in the juvenile system and when
[1:03:53] they turn 18 two months later they're
[1:03:55] competent. Uh and my thought is they
[1:03:58] were always competent uh and we failed
[1:04:00] them and now they're going to prison.
[1:04:01] And I think that's the problem with the
[1:04:03] system right now.
[1:04:06] Thank you,
[1:04:08] >> councelor Roy. And if I can get
[1:04:10] counselor to speak uh directly into the
[1:04:12] mic so the entire audience can hear.
[1:04:14] Thank you.
[1:04:16] >> Thank you. Uh my questions were answered
[1:04:19] at this time. Thank you, councelor
[1:04:21] Noble.
[1:04:22] >> Mine were also it was just about how
[1:04:24] they figured out the competency part.
[1:04:29] >> Councelor Chidum,
[1:04:31] thank you. I appreciate your uh
[1:04:33] presentation.
[1:04:35] I understand that the district
[1:04:37] attorney's office is underfunded,
[1:04:39] understaffed, overworked. Um, this
[1:04:42] discussion tonight is specifically about
[1:04:45] gun violence in Lewon. And
[1:04:48] first question to you is, do we see gun
[1:04:49] violence in South Paris, in Oxford, in
[1:04:52] Auburn,
[1:04:54] or is it nearly exclusively, if not
[1:04:57] exclusively, uh, a creature of Lewon,
[1:05:00] Maine? I I think in Lewon we have or in
[1:05:04] Androskogan County. Um I don't I didn't
[1:05:07] break it down by city. Uh but in
[1:05:10] Androskogen County we have 29 juvenile
[1:05:13] cases pending uh that involve firearms.
[1:05:15] They're not all violent crimes. They
[1:05:17] might be concealed weapons, but 29
[1:05:19] pending. Uh in the other two counties, a
[1:05:22] much lower uh number, but it's also a
[1:05:25] much lower population. It's a much more
[1:05:27] rural area. quite frankly, they're
[1:05:29] probably doing things with guns they
[1:05:30] shouldn't be, but nobody knows because
[1:05:32] they're out in the woods. Uh, but when
[1:05:34] you're in downtown in a highly populated
[1:05:36] area and you're firing off guns, uh,
[1:05:39] people notice, people hear it and they
[1:05:41] want law enforcement to do something
[1:05:43] about it and then they want us to do
[1:05:44] something about it. So, I think the
[1:05:46] answer is we see it more here. Uh, but
[1:05:48] that's probably because it's in a highly
[1:05:51] visible populated area.
[1:05:54] >> Okay. Thank you. Okay. Well, that sort
[1:05:55] of leads into my question about what about Lewon is an attractor for
[1:05:59] this kind of behavior. Um, which is is a
[1:06:01] question I'm going to have for everybody in this room. Actually, we
[1:06:05] have 150 people in this room, 150 minds
[1:06:09] that we could be applying to solve this
[1:06:11] problem. Um, I don't doubt that we're
[1:06:14] all trying, but we obviously need to try
[1:06:16] harder. And I don't think it would be
[1:06:20] wonderful if we could throw money at
[1:06:21] this problem. That's a that's a poor
[1:06:23] phrase, but we do not have the money to
[1:06:25] do that. That's a constraint that our
[1:06:27] citizens have given to us. We need to
[1:06:29] figure out a way to address this problem
[1:06:32] without financial resources, at least
[1:06:35] financial resources coming from Lewon
[1:06:37] taxpayers. Uh we've already cut budgets
[1:06:39] to the bone. We've seen dramatic
[1:06:41] increases.
[1:06:42] >> Excuse me. Uh councelor, uh there's
[1:06:44] going to be time for general comments
[1:06:45] later. Do you have
[1:06:46] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for for bringing
[1:06:47] me back on track. Yes. Uh what specific
[1:06:50] actions can the city council of Lewon
[1:06:53] Maine do to assist you in uh performing
[1:06:56] your duties and your responsibilities?
[1:07:03] I'm not sure uh directly how much uh can
[1:07:08] be done uh again directly with our
[1:07:10] office but I think the things that are
[1:07:12] helpful uh and we've heard lots of
[1:07:15] people talk about these these issues but
[1:07:17] it would be to provide alternatives for
[1:07:20] kids within the community uh whether it
[1:07:22] be fields after school activities I know
[1:07:25] that uh that a lot of that is being done
[1:07:28] uh but things that occupy kids, uh,
[1:07:31] adolescence, uh, other than social
[1:07:34] media. If you can pass an ordinance that
[1:07:37] they can't have a phone and it, uh, look
[1:07:39] at social media, that would probably
[1:07:40] solve a lot of your problems. Uh, but if
[1:07:43] you can't do that, uh, then you have to
[1:07:45] offer them alternatives. Uh, they're
[1:07:47] kids. Uh, and I know I was just saying I don't like to call them that, but
[1:07:51] before they get to my desk, they're
[1:07:53] kids. Uh, and again, I have my own. uh
[1:07:55] and they're silly and they do stupid
[1:07:57] things and they make stupid mistakes,
[1:07:59] but they should do it in a way that
[1:08:01] doesn't endanger everyone around them.
[1:08:03] Uh they should ride a bike without a
[1:08:04] helmet and not shoot a gun in downtown.
[1:08:07] uh but if we can offer them things to do
[1:08:10] uh or you all can do that uh and again
[1:08:13] I'll say it uh and I
[1:08:16] mean no disrespect by this but if this
[1:08:17] committee can stay together uh and not
[1:08:20] uh infight over things uh and really uh
[1:08:24] remember that we're all trying to do the
[1:08:26] same thing uh and help uh the kids out
[1:08:29] in the community uh there are things
[1:08:32] that can be done after school ba
[1:08:34] basketball uh extracurricular activities
[1:08:37] uh whatever you can be done that may not
[1:08:39] even be super expensive. Uh just opening
[1:08:42] up options uh to them. Uh work programs
[1:08:47] uh things that help build some instill
[1:08:49] within them a desire to work and make
[1:08:51] money for themselves. Uh things that
[1:08:53] they can do around town. Uh I know I've
[1:08:56] had a conversation with somebody about
[1:08:58] uh something like that. even if it's uh
[1:09:01] school kids helping with graffiti or tra
[1:09:03] I mean things that that you can get them
[1:09:05] out there uh get them working build that
[1:09:08] part of their personality uh or that
[1:09:11] part of their character uh and provide
[1:09:14] them things to do that are fun. Uh I was
[1:09:16] at the basilica and my family were
[1:09:18] getting ready to go into church and uh I
[1:09:21] saw three kids playing soccer in the
[1:09:24] parking lot that was completely lined
[1:09:25] with vehicles uh losing the ball under
[1:09:28] the under the uh the vehicles and then
[1:09:31] being worried they might get in trouble
[1:09:32] to go grab it. And all I can think is
[1:09:34] there's going to be a better place for
[1:09:36] them to play soccer uh because it it's
[1:09:38] pretty clear they want to. Uh so I think
[1:09:40] if we provide them the things that they
[1:09:42] need uh to to be able to be active in
[1:09:46] healthy activities,
[1:09:48] I mean I know that's simple answer,
[1:09:50] easier said than done, but I think
[1:09:52] that's a part of it.
[1:09:55] >> Thank you. And one follow-up question.
[1:09:58] Um
[1:10:00] these children, these kids, these
[1:10:02] juveniles, uh have spare time. Juveniles
[1:10:05] do silly things in spare time, but they
[1:10:07] also are incentivized. Have you, in your
[1:10:10] experience, found that there are drivers
[1:10:12] of this behavior. For example, I'm
[1:10:15] leading the question now. Uh, do we have
[1:10:17] drug activity that's encouraging our
[1:10:19] youth in Lewon to go down these paths
[1:10:22] that we're trying to block off so
[1:10:24] diligently right now?
[1:10:27] >> So, I don't know if I can speak to that
[1:10:29] on the grander scale, but do I see it in
[1:10:32] situational instances? of course uh
[1:10:35] there's drugs uh there's peer pressure
[1:10:37] there's social media there's all kinds
[1:10:39] of bad influences out there uh once they
[1:10:42] leave their home which again uh is why I
[1:10:45] think that that nurturing belongs begins
[1:10:48] and should stay on some level within the
[1:10:50] home uh because once they get out
[1:10:52] they're exposed to uh again bad
[1:10:54] influences peer pressure a desire to
[1:10:56] elevate themselves within the community
[1:10:59] um we I talked a little bit about not
[1:11:04] being afraid being not being politically
[1:11:05] correct and being afraid to say
[1:11:07] something. I had a conversation uh once
[1:11:09] about how to fix uh things and I used
[1:11:12] the terms gangs and I was told to stop
[1:11:14] saying that because that encourages
[1:11:16] people uh to think they're in a gang and
[1:11:20] I'm thinking they are in gangs. I don't
[1:11:22] know what you what what part of that you
[1:11:24] don't understand but uh we need to call
[1:11:25] it what it is. Uh and that's what they
[1:11:28] see. So they see that they see a free
[1:11:30] pair of Nike sneakers to do something
[1:11:32] stupid that they otherwise can't afford.
[1:11:34] And that's a that's an adolescent thing.
[1:11:36] We all could fall susceptible to that.
[1:11:38] It's it's economics. It's impo it's it's
[1:11:41] poverty. It's being in an area
[1:11:45] very urban area that doesn't have a lot
[1:11:47] to offer uh for outdoor activities. Uh
[1:11:50] but yes, you see that on a small scale.
[1:11:52] Drugs is always a problem. Uh drugs come
[1:11:55] with guns. Guns come with drugs. So they
[1:11:58] do interrelate I think on some level. I
[1:12:00] don't know on what percentage of cases.
[1:12:03] >> Thank you very much
[1:12:05] councelor Martell.
[1:12:07] >> Thank you Mr. Mayor. Thank you district
[1:12:09] attorney uh man for being here your
[1:12:11] presentation. Um first question. So
[1:12:16] I I was told I I I guess you're the best
[1:12:18] person to answer this. Uh I had a
[1:12:20] conversation as someone relayed to me
[1:12:22] that they believe there were statutes uh
[1:12:24] from Augusta that limit how long a
[1:12:26] juvenile can be held prior to conviction
[1:12:29] and sentencing on a crime. Is there any truth to that or is there anything
[1:12:34] uh I guess that what I'm trying to dig
[1:12:36] down on is how are these kids shooting
[1:12:38] up our city on Friday and back at the
[1:12:40] dinner table on Monday so consistently
[1:12:43] or maybe not at the dinner table but out
[1:12:45] shooting again on Monday?
[1:12:48] >> No. And I I think that's one of the
[1:12:49] greatest frustrations. Uh and I think
[1:12:51] you will hear a speaker that will know
[1:12:53] much more about the statutes as they
[1:12:55] relate to DOC. I think uh they will have
[1:12:58] a probably a better uh more meaningful
[1:13:00] answer. Um you can hold a kid, a kid can
[1:13:04] be detained at Long Creek uh pending
[1:13:06] hearing. It's just about the criteria
[1:13:08] that needs to be met. And uh the
[1:13:10] juvenile justice system is about least
[1:13:13] restrictive. Uh so as long as there's an
[1:13:15] alternative uh and I think again
[1:13:18] personally maybe to a flaw as long as
[1:13:21] there's an alternative an aunt cousin uh
[1:13:25] a friend that's responsible uh the
[1:13:27] JCCOs's are going to do their best uh to
[1:13:29] find a place for them not to be in Long
[1:13:32] Creek because there is a belief uh that
[1:13:34] they don't really get a lot of positive
[1:13:36] experiences in Long Creek and they are
[1:13:39] still juveniles. I'm not defending it
[1:13:40] but that's I think that's sort of the
[1:13:42] philosophy. Uh so no I I don't there is
[1:13:45] no no rule that says they can't be
[1:13:47] detained until a hearing. Uh in fact it
[1:13:49] does happen. Uh but there are there are
[1:13:53] trigger dates you know after they are
[1:13:55] picked up 48 hours to be seen by a
[1:13:58] judge. Um
[1:14:00] quite frankly if a juvenile is detained
[1:14:03] there are regular uh reassessments or we
[1:14:06] revisit it every 30 days. uh next
[1:14:09] juvenile date, we're looking at it again
[1:14:10] and saying, "Did you find a place? Are
[1:14:12] there some resources uh that we can put
[1:14:15] in place while they're out that will be
[1:14:17] helpful?" Uh someone here uh mentioned
[1:14:20] to me ankle bracelets uh or ankle
[1:14:23] monitors, I should say. Uh we we uh we
[1:14:27] used to use those in Waldo County.
[1:14:28] They're effective. Uh but you need
[1:14:30] somebody to pay for them. You need
[1:14:31] somebody to monitor them. It's usually
[1:14:33] one of the departments. Uh typically
[1:14:35] it's been the sheriff's departments in
[1:14:36] places I've been. Uh but that's that's
[1:14:39] worth a discussion. The problem is
[1:14:42] nobody believes pre-commitment.
[1:14:45] Uh nobody
[1:14:48] in a meaningful place position. I I do
[1:14:51] believe there are juveniles that belong
[1:14:53] detained until hearings. Absolutely. Uh
[1:14:55] but in I think most people uh with some
[1:14:58] exceptions believe it's not a good
[1:15:00] place. We should get them out, get them
[1:15:01] to a place where they can uh
[1:15:04] rehabilitate uh while they wait for the
[1:15:06] hearing. Of course, they're they're
[1:15:07] innocent at that point. They haven't
[1:15:09] been adjudicated of anything. Uh and
[1:15:11] that is what you see. Um you see them
[1:15:14] being released uh usually with
[1:15:16] conditions of release uh with a JCCO to
[1:15:20] monitor uh monitor them while they're
[1:15:22] out. Uh that is another thing we I did
[1:15:25] not address, but it goes to this point.
[1:15:27] We need DHS to step up uh when people
[1:15:30] are found incompetent. I think we have a
[1:15:32] horrible system in place to uh to help
[1:15:35] kids. Uh just because they're
[1:15:37] incompetent doesn't mean they should
[1:15:39] just be thrown back out on the street.
[1:15:40] Uh and DHS should do should do a better
[1:15:42] job of working with them. Uh and
[1:15:45] resources generally. Uh we need whether
[1:15:48] it be an ankle monitor or some other
[1:15:50] system in place. Uh those are resource
[1:15:53] driven and again those cost money but
[1:15:55] those are the things I think would make
[1:15:57] people feel safer.
[1:16:00] Thank you. Um I do believe that there is
[1:16:02] some flawed logic in that. So we want
[1:16:05] especially for juveniles for the
[1:16:06] criminal justice system to be
[1:16:09] rehabilitative and that makes sense. But
[1:16:12] the idea that we're going to avoid um
[1:16:17] holding these juveniles at all costs for
[1:16:20] every possibility. So the at least
[1:16:23] myself I struggle with the idea that
[1:16:25] okay so it's not good for these kids.
[1:16:27] there's not a lot of good happening for
[1:16:28] them uh if they're at Long Creek.
[1:16:30] There's not a lot of good happening in
[1:16:32] our community when they're released back
[1:16:33] out to it. And when bullets fly and they
[1:16:36] don't discriminate against who they hit,
[1:16:38] um I think at some point we we have to
[1:16:40] look at the good of the community over
[1:16:42] the good of the individual. Uh the good
[1:16:44] of the many over the good of the
[1:16:45] individual sometimes. Um and
[1:16:51] you know, I hear you talk about programs
[1:16:53] and alternatives and options. Um, you
[1:16:56] know, the carrot and stick approach only
[1:16:58] works when you have a proper stick. And
[1:17:00] I think that
[1:17:02] um, you know, I think so, so an example
[1:17:05] like ankle monitors sounds
[1:17:07] like a like a great idea, could be
[1:17:09] expensive. Um, if kids are shooting up
[1:17:12] our city and they're not being held for
[1:17:16] doing so, uh, if they cut off their
[1:17:18] ankle monitor, their very expensive
[1:17:20] ankle monitor, uh, what what's the
[1:17:23] punishment for that? I I would argue
[1:17:24] that shooting at someone is worse than
[1:17:26] cutting off an ankle monitor. So, if
[1:17:28] we're not holding kids or juveniles for
[1:17:30] shooting,
[1:17:32] >> uh we're going to have time for general
[1:17:33] comments later. Do you have any other
[1:17:35] questions?
[1:17:35] >> Yes, I do have another question. Um you uh you and the chief spoke about
[1:17:40] Augusta and legislation in statute. Uh
[1:17:43] what's the most uh can can you point out
[1:17:46] a couple statutes right now that you
[1:17:48] find make it difficult to um prosecute
[1:17:51] or hold some of these uh more serious
[1:17:54] violent offenders
[1:17:56] >> and don the juvenile offenders?
[1:17:59] >> Yeah. What could be changed that that is
[1:18:00] in place now that would help you do your
[1:18:02] job and protect the community a little
[1:18:03] bit more from your your job?
[1:18:05] >> Yeah. And so to be clear uh it is a
[1:18:08] system problem. Uh so when I was giving
[1:18:11] those examples, that's the system
[1:18:12] speaking. You did a very good job of
[1:18:15] making the argument we make when we're
[1:18:16] before the judge. Those are the
[1:18:18] arguments we make. Uh but those aren't
[1:18:20] necessarily the arguments that win. Uh
[1:18:23] the the statutes, as I said, I'd love uh
[1:18:27] for us to revisit the the competency
[1:18:30] statute. I think that's turning that's
[1:18:32] providing a lot of uh problems right now
[1:18:35] and I think it makes sense to revisit
[1:18:37] the language at the very least the
[1:18:39] requirements uh the detention uh so uh
[1:18:43] JCCOs are very limited in how they can
[1:18:46] detain somebody they're very strict
[1:18:48] criteria on what they can do uh to hold
[1:18:51] somebody that Lewon PD or any other PD
[1:18:54] picks up at 2 in the morning and if they
[1:18:55] don't meet that criteria uh they're sent
[1:18:57] back to the home not because the JCCO
[1:19:00] wants to, but because it's not within
[1:19:01] the statute for them to hold. So, that's
[1:19:03] something that we should look at. Uh, we
[1:19:05] have the ability to override them. Uh,
[1:19:08] and we do. We do it respectfully. We do
[1:19:10] it in communications. Uh, our
[1:19:13] prosecutors regularly will say the law
[1:19:15] enforcement will override them. Only
[1:19:17] problem is we only override them until
[1:19:19] the next hearing 48 hours later because
[1:19:22] then it's the same process. Uh, and if
[1:19:24] we haven't checked those boxes, we made
[1:19:26] the community safe for the weekend. uh
[1:19:29] in our opinion, but we haven't made any
[1:19:31] long-term gain. So maybe revisiting what
[1:19:33] that looks like. Uh maybe restructuring
[1:19:36] uh how a JCCO can give them more
[1:19:39] flexibility about detaining people
[1:19:41] initially. It's not just the gun
[1:19:43] charges. It's a kid out stealing a car
[1:19:45] and driving it and not stopping for law
[1:19:48] enforcement. uh and you pull them over
[1:19:50] and again that should be a felony but if they are released they're going right
[1:19:55] back to the home they just snuck out to steal the car. Uh so we should look
[1:20:00] at that statue. Uh I think a lot of
[1:20:02] statutes need to be looked at but
[1:20:06] um and then lastly real quick um so do
[1:20:09] these non-competitity
[1:20:11] non-competency
[1:20:12] tags uh definitions or so once a once a
[1:20:17] juvenile has had that that they're not
[1:20:19] competent does that follow them for
[1:20:21] further cases? So is that if if say it's
[1:20:24] a crime one deemed not competent when
[1:20:26] they come back if they come back say 3
[1:20:29] weeks later on another felony level or
[1:20:31] gunrelated or or not crime uh I imagine
[1:20:34] is that the first thing the defense
[1:20:35] attorney goes to is like this person is
[1:20:37] not competent is that does that hurt in
[1:20:40] future charges in future prosecutions
[1:20:43] >> I think if they're within the year of
[1:20:44] that finding it does
[1:20:46] >> okay
[1:20:47] >> but that's true of the adult system as
[1:20:49] well by the way
[1:20:50] >> so it's not on a case by case basis it
[1:20:52] stay with that defendant throughout
[1:20:54] multiple charges.
[1:20:56] >> Uh, usually if they have multiple
[1:20:58] charges, depending if I'm hearing you
[1:20:59] correctly, we would we would do it for
[1:21:00] all of them. They would all be dealt
[1:21:02] with as a as a global or as an aggregate
[1:21:05] sum.
[1:21:06] >> Thank you very much,
[1:21:09] >> Councelor Naene. Back to you.
[1:21:12] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just want to
[1:21:13] follow up uh on the competency uh piece
[1:21:16] as well. So, ju just to verify, if a
[1:21:18] juvenile is uh is deemed to be
[1:21:21] incompetent, that means they're
[1:21:22] incompetent to stand trial or they're
[1:21:25] incompetent to be held accountable
[1:21:28] through the criminal system.
[1:21:30] >> They're held incompetent to appear for a
[1:21:32] hearing to be part of a hearing.
[1:21:34] >> So, so a case that's brought forward for
[1:21:36] somebody who's decide when somebody has
[1:21:39] decided
[1:21:41] incompetent, they never actually go
[1:21:43] through a trial process at all. So
[1:21:45] there's no alternative sentencing or any
[1:21:47] of those pieces
[1:21:48] >> unless they re regain competency. There
[1:21:51] are things I think this goes back to DHS
[1:21:54] uh and again I'm not the expert as I
[1:21:57] should be because it's not a case load I
[1:21:58] regularly carry but I think there uh in
[1:22:01] the interim the judge does have the
[1:22:03] ability to order some DHS or involvement
[1:22:07] uh that would provide some uh some
[1:22:10] structure uh or treatment maybe things
[1:22:13] that might so if they're found
[1:22:14] incompetent but the uh the evaluator
[1:22:17] says these three things would might help
[1:22:20] them regain competency. Uh then a judge
[1:22:23] uh can uh order that they maybe have
[1:22:26] those uh treatment uh poss treatment uh
[1:22:31] options available to them. It doesn't
[1:22:33] mean they get them, but I think that's something the court uh might be a
[1:22:37] question for the court. I think that
[1:22:38] frustrates them some.
[1:22:40] >> Thank you. I appreciate that. I'm just
[1:22:42] very surprised that it actually stops
[1:22:44] the criminal justice system and then
[1:22:45] also doesn't force alternative
[1:22:47] treatment.
[1:22:48] >> It pardons it. Yeah, I think the
[1:22:50] language I use it pauses it. Y
[1:22:52] >> Thank you,
[1:22:55] Councelor Long Champs.
[1:22:56] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um,
[1:23:00] this is quite disturbing. Um, and it
[1:23:02] seems like that's
[1:23:04] >> Sorry, D. Mlan, do you mind turning off
[1:23:06] your mic while you're not speaking?
[1:23:08] Okay, thank you.
[1:23:09] >> It it appears as though that may be one
[1:23:12] of our biggest issues that we're running
[1:23:14] up against. So, I would ask um
[1:23:18] how do we go about trying to get a
[1:23:21] meeting with the right people to see how
[1:23:25] we can tweak some of these uh uh laws
[1:23:28] and policies. Uh again, I don't think
[1:23:31] this is something that should wait a
[1:23:32] year or two years. Uh I think this is
[1:23:35] something that if possible, um we get
[1:23:38] that meeting going right away. So, I I
[1:23:40] don't know how we can help as council uh
[1:23:42] to make that loud and clear, but I'm
[1:23:44] pretty much suggesting that loud and
[1:23:46] clear
[1:23:51] » if we can have the audience members uh
[1:23:53] refrain from speaking. We're going to
[1:23:55] have public comment later.
[1:23:58] >> So, we in the past, Lewon PD and and uh
[1:24:01] my office has met with our delegation in
[1:24:03] the past uh the Lewon uh delegation from
[1:24:06] Augusta and discussed things. I think we
[1:24:09] did some legislation for guns in school
[1:24:12] uh and Jake was a part of that as well.
[1:24:14] So, we've had success doing that. Uh so,
[1:24:16] we can meet with the delegation, but
[1:24:18] what we ultimately need to do is find
[1:24:20] someone within the legislature uh that
[1:24:23] is willing to uh propose a bill for that
[1:24:25] change. That's how I think we typically
[1:24:27] do it.
[1:24:32] » Thank you. Um, so that would be my
[1:24:35] suggestion is that we find someone that
[1:24:37] is willing to do that if that is our
[1:24:39] only path forward. Um, and uh, get that
[1:24:43] ball rolling because again that seems
[1:24:45] like that's a pretty big wall that's um,
[1:24:48] that's holding up a lot of um,
[1:24:50] accountability which is a serious
[1:24:52] problem and I really appreciate the
[1:24:55] statements that you said that
[1:24:56] accountability um, to me is a form of
[1:24:59] caring about someone. um if we continue
[1:25:03] to
[1:25:04] um let these juveniles um
[1:25:09] in my opinion fall through the cracks
[1:25:11] because we're not holding them
[1:25:12] accountable is showing them really that that we don't care. Um so thank
[1:25:18] you.
[1:25:20] >> Uh further questions from the council
[1:25:26] » DA. Thank you so much for being here. We
[1:25:27] appreciate you.
[1:25:31] We will now hear from uh our very own
[1:25:39] Superintendent Jin Lingless. If you can
[1:25:40] please join us.
[1:25:55] Let's start by saying thank you to
[1:25:56] everyone for being here. um being
[1:25:58] mindful of time. I think community voice
[1:26:00] is incredibly important. Um I was
[1:26:02] looking over my slides as we as we were
[1:26:04] listening. So without being repetitive,
[1:26:06] I've removed a number of things, but if
[1:26:08] anyone has questions uh following or
[1:26:10] down the road, please feel free to reach
[1:26:11] out to me. Uh but I do want to be
[1:26:13] mindful of time.
[1:26:15] I want to start by saying we can't give
[1:26:17] up on our kids. Um they are the most
[1:26:19] proximate to their choices and we have
[1:26:21] to remember that. um there there's no
[1:26:24] place to send people that it just fixes
[1:26:26] everything. Uh so we have to be mindful
[1:26:30] also that kids influence each other more
[1:26:32] than you may realize. I know from a
[1:26:34] school perspective we hear a lot from
[1:26:36] kids who have seen something who have
[1:26:38] said something. Uh and so it's it's a
[1:26:40] powerful tool. We're growing that in our
[1:26:42] community. We worked with LPD on it uh
[1:26:44] as well.
[1:26:46] And that research tells us uh done a lot
[1:26:48] of looking lately that success can be
[1:26:51] found in communities that are facing
[1:26:52] these kinds of challenges through
[1:26:53] multis- sector collaboration amongst all
[1:26:56] uh all of us everyone in the room
[1:26:58] families uh from parenting all the way
[1:26:59] up through schools businesses and
[1:27:01] others.
[1:27:03] I do want to talk about some of the
[1:27:05] lines that we can draw as a school and
[1:27:08] I'll I'll spare the legislation
[1:27:09] conversation but whoever gets elected I
[1:27:11] have a number of things I'd love to
[1:27:12] submit for legislation. Um but just to
[1:27:14] start with what lines can a school hold?
[1:27:17] Um we became frustrated uh the school
[1:27:20] committee uh and I and and city uh
[1:27:23] school leadership with the fact that
[1:27:25] there's been a number of tools stripped
[1:27:27] away from us. Uh but there's there's the
[1:27:30] one tool that remains is that you can
[1:27:32] take kids uh through a due process um
[1:27:35] that has intervention layers at school,
[1:27:37] intervention layers uh with me and then
[1:27:40] ultimately you can take kids to what is
[1:27:41] considered a quasi judicial process
[1:27:44] which is a disciplinary hearing with the
[1:27:46] school committee. There's a number of
[1:27:47] steps involved. Um, but anytime there is
[1:27:50] a firearm or a serious violent incident
[1:27:52] that connects to our kids and I have to
[1:27:55] think of the kids sitting sitting next
[1:27:57] to maybe one of your students in math
[1:27:58] class on Tuesday after being released.
[1:28:01] We've decided that that's not an option.
[1:28:03] And so we have uh taken steps to draw
[1:28:05] those lines. It's not perfect. I don't
[1:28:08] think expelling a student fixes
[1:28:10] everything. Uh but I do think we need to
[1:28:12] have lines and we'll continue to work
[1:28:14] through that. When students are expelled
[1:28:17] from Lewis public schools, there is an
[1:28:19] opportunity for a re-entry plan and we
[1:28:21] have not given up on that investment.
[1:28:24] And so I wanted to share that it's nice
[1:28:27] to say that we draw a line, but it
[1:28:29] doesn't fix any problems. Uh and so we
[1:28:32] continue to work with specific re-entry
[1:28:34] plans with kids that we develop together
[1:28:35] with them knowing their full situation.
[1:28:38] Uh there are volunteer requirements,
[1:28:40] counseling requirements often. Uh we do
[1:28:42] have opportunities for teaching and
[1:28:43] learning and and share some uh novel
[1:28:46] experiences with community partners and
[1:28:48] there there's still an opportunity for
[1:28:49] some kids to earn at least a limited
[1:28:51] amount of credit because we don't want
[1:28:52] them to just work on self and lose full
[1:28:55] progress on school because what happens
[1:28:56] is they'll drop out and we've just
[1:28:59] reinvented the same issue uh likely down
[1:29:01] the road.
[1:29:04] But also note that some kids have done
[1:29:07] something or things that's gotten them
[1:29:09] to a point where they have work to do
[1:29:11] before they can even access the re-entry
[1:29:12] plan. So it's not really common
[1:29:14] knowledge unless you're living it as a
[1:29:16] student or if maybe you're a school
[1:29:17] committee member who's held the line. Um
[1:29:19] but there are steps to these processes
[1:29:21] and we do um work hard to hold those
[1:29:24] lines.
[1:29:26] I also want to share some things that
[1:29:27] I'm hearing.
[1:29:31] I had a kid tell me recently who was
[1:29:32] involved in a firearm incident, which I
[1:29:34] have a a unique role in which I get to
[1:29:36] talk to them as as students and try to
[1:29:39] figure out what's the next best thing
[1:29:40] for them. And I'm also the person who
[1:29:42] makes the decision whether or not they
[1:29:43] go to a disciplinary hearing, but I do
[1:29:45] try to build relationships with the kids
[1:29:47] and and really just talk about what's
[1:29:48] going on in your world and try to
[1:29:49] navigate and problem solve everything
[1:29:51] that we can. But I had a kid tell me
[1:29:53] recently who was involved in a firearm
[1:29:54] incident that the way he gets guns is he
[1:29:56] profiles vehicles. He looks for things
[1:29:59] that are unlocked. He's not stealing
[1:30:01] money. He's not anything else. Just look
[1:30:02] for a firearm. But he said he'll look
[1:30:04] for trucks. And trucks are commonly
[1:30:06] unlocked. And people with trucks are
[1:30:09] more likely to have guns. This kid is
[1:30:11] 12.
[1:30:13] years old. He told me this.
[1:30:16] So, please lock up your firearms. Don't
[1:30:18] leave them in your vehicles. Get them
[1:30:20] locked up and put away.
[1:30:23] Everyone's posting with the guns. We're
[1:30:25] seeing this uh rampantly through
[1:30:26] schools. It causes a lot of issues as
[1:30:28] others have mentioned. Um, and so if if
[1:30:32] everyone's posing with a gun or
[1:30:34] something that looks like a gun, others
[1:30:37] want to also look that cool, feel that
[1:30:39] awesome, have that sense of adequacy.
[1:30:41] It's a problem. Some of those kids are
[1:30:43] posing with a pellet gun or a BB gun and
[1:30:46] others are po posing with 45s,
[1:30:49] handguns that can take someone's life.
[1:30:51] Absolutely.
[1:30:54] I had one kid tell me that he shoots
[1:30:56] buildings because an adult told him to.
[1:30:59] And I say, "We need to find out who
[1:31:00] these adults are that are taking
[1:31:01] advantage of our kids." And I'm talking
[1:31:04] intentionally taking advantage of our
[1:31:06] kids. Not just any kid. Usually kids
[1:31:08] that have a low cognitive ability who
[1:31:10] really want to fit in anywhere they can.
[1:31:12] They're carrying guns and they're
[1:31:13] carrying out tasks for other people who
[1:31:15] are asking them to do it. So they feel
[1:31:17] cool. So they feel awesome. They have no
[1:31:19] intentions of killing someone, but if
[1:31:21] they can light up a building at 1:00 in
[1:31:23] the morning and people think they're
[1:31:25] awesome for doing it, they'll do it. We
[1:31:27] need to continue to track this and solve
[1:31:29] these problems. I've also had kids tell
[1:31:31] me they just don't feel safe. We've had
[1:31:33] kids that we've we've had to search and
[1:31:35] take things off of. Never firearm in the
[1:31:37] school, but we do search and we've done
[1:31:39] many searches. Um, but often times we
[1:31:42] find kids with a knife. Why are you
[1:31:44] carrying a knife at school?
[1:31:46] It's because I don't feel safe when I'm
[1:31:47] walking to or from school. And so these
[1:31:49] are concerns that we we we just can't
[1:31:51] allow it.
[1:31:55] Something that humbled me recently that
[1:31:56] I want to share with the entire group.
[1:31:58] There's an old approach to instead of
[1:32:00] saying hello or hi, how are you? Uh and
[1:32:03] I forget where this came from and I
[1:32:04] apologize to wherever this originated
[1:32:06] from, but the greeting was how are the
[1:32:09] kids doing?
[1:32:10] And it made me pause.
[1:32:13] Imagine if everywhere we went in our
[1:32:14] community, we said to each other, "How
[1:32:16] are the kids doing?" Because if they're
[1:32:18] not okay, we have a lot of work to do.
[1:32:21] And if they are okay, then we have to
[1:32:22] maintain that effort.
[1:32:27] I'm an educator, so you're going to hear
[1:32:28] it from me. I do have thoughts.
[1:32:30] Obviously, ensure healthy relationships
[1:32:32] exist. Start by talking to the kids.
[1:32:35] They're the ones most proximate to it,
[1:32:36] and it's not a ton of kids. I know that
[1:32:39] I I live in a world where there's a lot
[1:32:40] of stereotypes of those kids, those
[1:32:42] people. It's not that. It's it's
[1:32:44] actually a little more mixed than you
[1:32:46] think. Uh not not making accusations,
[1:32:48] but a little more mixed than a lot of
[1:32:50] people think. And it's a relatively
[1:32:52] small group of kids. And I think we need
[1:32:54] to build in more sense of adequacy in
[1:32:56] our community where kids can develop
[1:32:58] their identity and and grow through
[1:33:00] that. We need to find a way to wrap
[1:33:02] around supports. As Neil mentioned, uh
[1:33:04] we know the high-risisk kids who have
[1:33:05] been involved in numerous numerous
[1:33:07] things. And so from Chief and Neil and
[1:33:09] others that are going to speak tonight,
[1:33:10] we need to find a way to wrap supports
[1:33:12] around those kids uh and do something
[1:33:15] differently.
[1:33:16] And then I challenge everyone to take 10
[1:33:18] good minutes to get to know a kid that
[1:33:20] you don't already know because it's
[1:33:22] worth it when you sit and talk with a
[1:33:24] kid who might be troubled who might be a
[1:33:25] great kid might change your your
[1:33:27] perception of that kid or a specific
[1:33:30] population that that are our neighbors
[1:33:32] but 10 good minutes talking with a kid.
[1:33:34] I learned a lot about a kid who got shot
[1:33:35] recently.
[1:33:37] It was a great conversation
[1:33:39] but he was there and that happens.
[1:33:45] I'll take questions. Uh again, I took
[1:33:47] some slides out. One thing I'd like to
[1:33:49] mention before I take any questions
[1:33:50] though, the working relationship that we
[1:33:52] have as a school system with Neil and
[1:33:54] Lewis Police Department and our JCCOs's
[1:33:57] is without its flaws. We talk all the
[1:34:01] time. Whenever we need something, we
[1:34:02] talk to each other. We communicate.
[1:34:04] There are limitations and constraints
[1:34:05] because of rights and and and whatnot,
[1:34:07] but um we work together all the time.
[1:34:12] >> Thank you very much, Superintendent. I
[1:34:13] appreciate you being here. Councelor
[1:34:18] Martell, we're starting with you.
[1:34:23] » Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, uh,
[1:34:25] Superintendent. Um,
[1:34:29] why don't I write down I have a question
[1:34:31] here. Um,
[1:34:35] you know, I'll hold it for now. Um,
[1:34:37] thank you very much for your
[1:34:38] presentation. I appreciate what you do
[1:34:39] in the schools.
[1:34:42] >> Councelor Chidum, no questions. Thank
[1:34:44] you, Mr. Mayor.
[1:34:46] >> Uh, councelor Noble,
[1:34:48] >> nothing.
[1:34:50] >> Councelor Roy,
[1:34:54] um, one of the questions uh, that I
[1:34:56] have, are there any incentives for maybe
[1:34:59] some teachers to build up some pickup
[1:35:01] sports after school? Um, can we look
[1:35:03] into something like that that helps
[1:35:05] maybe keep kids in a good activity after
[1:35:08] school? [gasps]
[1:35:10] >> The easy answer is yes. Uh it it does
[1:35:13] take money in space, but we have
[1:35:14] afternoon uh programming that goes uh
[1:35:17] well into when community partners have
[1:35:19] kids in their spaces um and they're
[1:35:21] keeping kids uh later in the evening.
[1:35:23] And so I think the key is getting kids
[1:35:27] that need that thing to do in the space
[1:35:29] where it's already happening. I think
[1:35:30] the city's done a good job committing
[1:35:31] resources. I know we as a school system
[1:35:33] have continued to seek grants and the
[1:35:34] school committee has supported after
[1:35:36] school programming and summer related uh
[1:35:38] programming. So I think it could always
[1:35:40] get better. Um, I do look at things like
[1:35:42] some of our sports teams. The numbers
[1:35:44] are just abysmally low. Um, and and I
[1:35:46] think that's a maybe a generational
[1:35:48] thing. Like it's it's it's way more
[1:35:50] interesting to make sure your your posts
[1:35:52] are active and you know what's going on
[1:35:54] with everyone than it is to be on a
[1:35:55] practice field and and be two hours
[1:35:57] without it. But just another notice to
[1:35:59] everyone that there'll be no cell phones
[1:36:00] in the high school next year. That's a law that's been passed and we
[1:36:03] move forward with that.
[1:36:06] I I do think that would be helpful. But
[1:36:08] I I agree. We we just got to get kids
[1:36:10] engaged. When I talk about sense of
[1:36:11] adequacy, I I really mean it can be
[1:36:13] almost anything. If you build a
[1:36:15] birdhouse or a foot stool or something
[1:36:18] and you can bring it home and be like, I
[1:36:20] did this [snorts] that matters. And our
[1:36:22] kids right now, they're stuck to their
[1:36:23] phones and they're not doing those
[1:36:25] things. And so their sense of adequacy
[1:36:27] is how awesome did someone or how many
[1:36:28] likes did they have or it's it's so
[1:36:31] superficial like we got to get deeper
[1:36:32] with our kids.
[1:36:34] >> Thank you for that. I actually have that
[1:36:36] with um businesses maybe sponsoring an
[1:36:39] internship or a mentorship with some of
[1:36:41] the stuff that they do within the comm
[1:36:43] uh the community. One of the other
[1:36:45] questions I have is in in uh have we
[1:36:48] looked into why
[1:36:50] um when we expel youth and all that
[1:36:53] stuff, are we looking deeper into why
[1:36:56] youth are are going down that hole and
[1:36:59] maybe trying to figure out how to
[1:37:01] prevent others from going down that?
[1:37:06] >> So the short answer is yes, the long
[1:37:08] answer is really long. Every kid is an
[1:37:10] individualized uh scenario. Um, one
[1:37:14] thing that I want to really spend more
[1:37:15] time on if there are researchers in the
[1:37:17] room, and I know Bates has been helpful
[1:37:18] with this kind of conversation, is
[1:37:21] second generation
[1:37:23] males especially,
[1:37:25] seem to have um a different kind of need
[1:37:28] to please their peers than than I've
[1:37:31] seen before. And so I want to know more
[1:37:33] about that. But those kids are also role
[1:37:35] models for their younger siblings. And I I want to understand that that
[1:37:39] influence and how that that's happening.
[1:37:41] we are seeing uh you know for for better
[1:37:44] or worse I've been in administration in
[1:37:45] Lewis public school since 2012. So in
[1:37:48] that time frame I've spent a lot of time
[1:37:50] with with kids who are now the adults
[1:37:52] that Neil's mentioning the young adults
[1:37:53] and their siblings who are some of them
[1:37:55] currently in school. So I know a lot
[1:37:57] about the family dynamics and and it it
[1:38:00] all plays in. Um, but I will say this,
[1:38:02] all the things we can identify, for the
[1:38:04] vast vast majority of them, we're not
[1:38:07] filling what their needs are. From
[1:38:09] counseling to,
[1:38:11] you know, trauma to adequacy, you name
[1:38:14] it. Um, there's a lot going on,
[1:38:22] » test,
[1:38:24] can you hear me now?
[1:38:30] testing test came back there. Okay.
[1:38:36] >> All right. Um couple more um things that
[1:38:39] I thought about. I'm glad you touched
[1:38:40] upon Bates College maybe, you know,
[1:38:43] partnering up with Bates College to
[1:38:44] invest a little bit in the community
[1:38:46] with the school system to try to build
[1:38:48] those after school programs and all that
[1:38:50] stuff too. I think that's something that
[1:38:52] I was thinking about. Um let's see.
[1:38:59] that'll uh how about peerto-peer
[1:39:01] peer-to-p peer homework help you know
[1:39:03] stuff like that because again if we get
[1:39:06] a lot of our youth engaging with other
[1:39:09] youth maybe work habits and you know
[1:39:12] healthy boundaries and all that stuff
[1:39:14] maybe that might be a way to go too.
[1:39:17] Yeah, all good ideas. Happy happy to
[1:39:20] explore those.
[1:39:22] >> Councelor Haramman,
[1:39:24] >> I don't have any questions right now.
[1:39:26] Thanks,
[1:39:27] >> Councelor Long Champs.
[1:39:29] >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, Mr. Langless, uh,
[1:39:33] do we still have truent officers?
[1:39:36] >> So, the question was, do we have truency
[1:39:38] officers? And and so the answer to that
[1:39:40] question is no, but yes. So, we used to
[1:39:43] have a dedicated person u many years ago
[1:39:45] that this is part of what they did as a
[1:39:47] job. Um now it's it's morphed to uh
[1:39:50] school administrators. Uh oftentimes
[1:39:52] we'll go with an SRO to try to contact a
[1:39:54] kid we've been missing for a while. Um a
[1:39:56] truency is a a serious problem. Um and
[1:39:58] when I talk a whole community, I don't
[1:40:00] mean just it takes everybody for that
[1:40:01] afternoon on the field. I mean the the
[1:40:04] standards that we hold for each other
[1:40:06] are incredibly important and kids are
[1:40:07] watching all the time. And so when they
[1:40:09] feel safe because people are drawing
[1:40:10] lines, they they'll behave that way.
[1:40:13] It's it's it's a really interesting
[1:40:14] piece at least more so um as it relates
[1:40:17] to truency, it's just I'm trying to
[1:40:19] connect the two because if you're not
[1:40:21] going to school and having a responsible
[1:40:23] routine for yourself or as a parent
[1:40:25] making sure your kids get to that space,
[1:40:28] we're missing big pieces of why kids
[1:40:30] often start misbehaving in school
[1:40:32] because they feel lost academically. And
[1:40:35] so it that's another piece is community
[1:40:37] effort. I I'd love to see chronic
[1:40:39] absenteeism and truency be reduced, but
[1:40:41] it's going to take everybody to be like,
[1:40:42] "Hey, why aren't you in school? It's not acceptable that you're not."
[1:40:46] And and that's going to take a parent
[1:40:48] getting up, right? Like so many of us in
[1:40:50] this room have kids that have are still
[1:40:52] growing or have grown. And you know, I'm
[1:40:55] a superintendent. This morning, my kid
[1:40:57] was here to do a workout uh as a summer
[1:41:00] program. He did not get up the first
[1:41:02] time I knocked on the door. He did not
[1:41:03] get up the second time. He got up the
[1:41:05] third time when I ripped a blanket off
[1:41:06] of him. But that's that's my job you as
[1:41:09] a dad, right? Because he's going at 7
[1:41:11] o'clock for workouts. But but that's my
[1:41:14] job as a dad. And we have a lot of kids
[1:41:15] that their parents,
[1:41:17] they don't even know that that's a
[1:41:19] thing. They they don't realize that
[1:41:21] there's something at 7:00 tomorrow
[1:41:22] morning that their kids should be there
[1:41:24] for and they're definitely not getting
[1:41:25] them up for it. So we got to do better
[1:41:26] across the board.
[1:41:28] >> Uh thank you. Um so we don't have a
[1:41:31] truency uh officer. We are hopeful that
[1:41:36] the parents will do a better job and I
[1:41:38] am hopeful too and I know how critical
[1:41:39] that is but the reality is it's not
[1:41:42] happening.
[1:41:43] So I think we need a truency officer
[1:41:47] um to make sure that if a kid uh is not
[1:41:51] attending school after so many days
[1:41:54] they're the ones uh knocking on their
[1:41:56] door like we had uh years ago. I think
[1:41:59] that was uh very useful and very helpful
[1:42:02] from what I could uh see.
[1:42:05] The second question I have um
[1:42:09] the small group of individuals that you
[1:42:13] were um
[1:42:16] saying uh you know are basically the
[1:42:19] ones committing these uh the gun
[1:42:21] violence.
[1:42:25] Are they in school that you know of or
[1:42:27] are they kids that um are not currently
[1:42:32] going to school? Well, not this summer,
[1:42:34] but
[1:42:35] >> I I looked over some things. I I think I
[1:42:37] have my my data accurate, but I'd have
[1:42:39] to dig some more. I believe there's been
[1:42:41] one student that's had anything gun
[1:42:43] rellated in the last two years that was
[1:42:45] not already expelled from school for
[1:42:47] other violent acts.
[1:42:50] The other thing I would just suggest,
[1:42:52] um, and I'd like to ask you if you think
[1:42:54] it would be helpful, and it seems as
[1:42:56] though the answer is probably going to
[1:42:57] be yes, I hope. Um, it seems like when
[1:43:00] you identify kids that are struggling
[1:43:03] and, you know, may go down a path, uh,
[1:43:06] we need some sort of system to prevent
[1:43:09] uh any anything further from happening.
[1:43:13] Um, and I don't mean just an
[1:43:15] organization that comes up tomorrow and
[1:43:17] says, "Oh, I'll be great at it." so they
[1:43:19] can get a ton of money or uh but I think
[1:43:22] we need real professional people, case
[1:43:25] management people um once the school
[1:43:28] identifies uh the students to step in uh
[1:43:32] I believe that would be really helpful.
[1:43:35] Um we we can't lose sight of of helping
[1:43:37] these uh young people. Thank you. I
[1:43:40] >> I would agree. Just just real quickly if
[1:43:43] someone called me tomorrow and said, "We
[1:43:44] have this program. What kids do you
[1:43:46] think should be in it?" There's there's
[1:43:47] plenty of people in this room that could
[1:43:48] probably tell you exactly who could
[1:43:50] benefit from additional supports, but we
[1:43:52] do need the system and the resources.
[1:43:54] And from a truency officer perspective,
[1:43:55] I want folks to know that we mail a
[1:43:57] letter to parents and we let them know
[1:43:58] after 10 absences that your your your
[1:44:01] child is truent and that if you don't
[1:44:04] send your student to school, you'll be
[1:44:05] fined up to $250. We have to submit the
[1:44:08] language to the district attorney's
[1:44:10] office who is already 700 cases behind.
[1:44:13] and to prioritize a truency case for a
[1:44:15] $250 fine is not making the priority
[1:44:18] list. That's not on them. That's just a
[1:44:19] reality. I just want to share that
[1:44:20] upfront with people.
[1:44:22] >> Councelor Long Champs, did you have
[1:44:24] something else?
[1:44:24] >> Yes. Thank you, Mayor. So, uh what I
[1:44:26] would just say to that is
[1:44:29] we probably just need a truency officer
[1:44:31] that can go knock on the door after a
[1:44:33] few days of making no uh you know,
[1:44:35] having no contact with this kid so that
[1:44:37] they can see what condition they're
[1:44:39] living in or what is going on. And then
[1:44:40] DHS needs to do a better job at helping
[1:44:43] also. Thank you.
[1:44:46] >> Uh any further? Councelor Nene, did you
[1:44:49] have something?
[1:44:51] >> I did. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, um how
[1:44:54] many uh students have been expelled uh
[1:44:56] this year?
[1:44:59] » This year, I think we're approaching 15.
[1:45:03] >> 15. And um were all the expulsions based
[1:45:06] on violent acts?
[1:45:14] Yeah, I yes, all violent acts. Um, but I
[1:45:16] do want to clarify too, um, we've
[1:45:19] crossed a bridge. So, I don't know if
[1:45:20] the legal team wants to block their
[1:45:21] ears, but we we crossed a bridge as a
[1:45:23] school system and said even if the
[1:45:25] violent act happens outside of school,
[1:45:27] but it has the opportunity to disrupt
[1:45:30] the peace and use of the school itself,
[1:45:32] we are still carrying that forward.
[1:45:34] We're not we're not waiting for it to
[1:45:35] happen at school. If it happens, it
[1:45:37] happened. and we're taking action on
[1:45:39] that.
[1:45:40] >> Okay. And just as a followup on that,
[1:45:42] what is LPS's responsibility for
[1:45:44] placement of that child in an
[1:45:46] educational system once they are
[1:45:47] expelled from school?
[1:45:51] So, in statute, you have limited
[1:45:52] responsibilities. Um, if there's an IEP,
[1:45:54] you have some instructional obligations.
[1:45:56] If you if they do not have an IEP, your
[1:45:58] responsibility to have a re-entry plan.
[1:46:00] We go beyond that and provide supports
[1:46:02] to to try to maintain opportunities for
[1:46:04] volunteering, experiences, learning,
[1:46:06] counseling. Um, but that's all off-site.
[1:46:08] They're not allowed on school grounds.
[1:46:11] Thank you. And the last question that I
[1:46:12] have just to follow up with all of those
[1:46:14] pieces is what are the processes in
[1:46:16] which we uh as a school system identify
[1:46:19] at risk youth and what tools are we
[1:46:21] using in order to avoid the expulsion
[1:46:25] which then uh and I'm just going to use
[1:46:27] this framework but in most cases um
[1:46:32] unless there's incredible engagement
[1:46:34] from the parents of of that youth uh
[1:46:38] basically throws that kid away. Um so
[1:46:41] there's there's traditional constructs
[1:46:43] to identify at risk grades, attendance,
[1:46:46] uh skipping tardies, things of that
[1:46:48] nature. Um we go beyond that with with
[1:46:50] some of our systems with uh behavioral
[1:46:52] analysis, uh trajectory or projection to
[1:46:55] graduate or not or and what where you're
[1:46:57] at in that pace. There's a there's a
[1:46:59] metric for that in our system. But we've
[1:47:01] also done some things that are not
[1:47:02] traditional. Um our SRO's have done some
[1:47:04] great things in the schools. I it's
[1:47:07] interesting to see in the schools. And I
[1:47:08] know some people have bigger feelings
[1:47:09] about SRO's um in a different light, but
[1:47:12] I watch our SRO's get fist bumps and
[1:47:14] hugs and all kinds of things in our
[1:47:16] schools and I think that's an important
[1:47:17] step that we've taken. Um we also have
[1:47:20] been working with um the community based
[1:47:22] organizations who have brought staff
[1:47:24] into our schools. So kids who have like
[1:47:26] a hot spot moment, they can go see
[1:47:27] someone. Um, you're going to hear from
[1:47:29] Duncan, so I'm sure he'll talk about
[1:47:30] some of the things that he's done in
[1:47:31] collaboration with with school and kids
[1:47:33] who are facing or have faced
[1:47:35] consequences with with school and
[1:47:37] community. Um, so we're we're looking to
[1:47:39] fold in as many people as we can and
[1:47:40] break down the barrier of it's a school,
[1:47:43] so you can't do that here. We're saying
[1:47:44] it's a school. How can you help us uh
[1:47:46] get in front of some of these
[1:47:47] situations?
[1:47:49] >> So ultimately, you're providing
[1:47:50] additional resources outside of family
[1:47:52] and recovery courts, which are clearly
[1:47:54] are not either either not functioning in
[1:47:56] this
[1:47:58] uh in this state or or or not fully
[1:48:01] functioning.
[1:48:02] >> Yes.
[1:48:03] >> Okay. Thank you.
[1:48:06] >> Uh superintendent, uh you mentioned 15
[1:48:08] students have been expelled this year.
[1:48:10] Uh can you give us a breakdown based on
[1:48:12] school? Were most of those in the high
[1:48:13] school or were some in elementary or
[1:48:15] middle?
[1:48:16] >> It's a great question. So, you cannot
[1:48:17] expel a student who is fifth grade or
[1:48:20] lower unless there's a gun rellated
[1:48:21] incident. Um we've had only one
[1:48:24] expulsion this year. Uh that was uh it
[1:48:27] was actually a fifth grader. So for the
[1:48:28] younger ages, everything else has been
[1:48:30] middle and high school. And that's
[1:48:32] really about the constraints. I there's we've had some situations with
[1:48:36] very young kids that they're not gun
[1:48:38] related. Um but we have
[1:48:41] I I'll say this if if the next session
[1:48:43] is willing to hear some language around
[1:48:44] some things we might be able to do as a
[1:48:46] school system to help mitigate, I have
[1:48:47] ideas.
[1:48:50] >> Thank you. Uh further questions uh from
[1:48:52] the council.
[1:48:55] Superintendent, thank you very much for
[1:48:57] being here.
[1:49:02] We are now going to hear from the New
[1:49:04] Beginnings executive director, Chris
[1:49:06] Bnau.
[1:49:12] Thank you for joining us, Director Bnau.
[1:49:16] >> Thank you for inviting me. Um, I was
[1:49:18] invited here because of my experience
[1:49:20] and expertise in systems and funding.
[1:49:23] And so that's primarily what I'm going
[1:49:25] to talk about. Um I believe that the
[1:49:27] responsibility for solving this problem,
[1:49:30] the financial problem of getting money
[1:49:33] to resolve this sits with state and
[1:49:35] local officials, period. Um
[1:49:40] I don't I do know that without
[1:49:42] significant investment in multiple
[1:49:45] different
[1:49:47] domains that this is not going to get
[1:49:50] resolved. And I did hear the mayor say
[1:49:52] that he has heard clearly from the
[1:49:54] citizens of Lon that he doesn't want
[1:49:57] municipal dollars being spent. If you
[1:49:59] don't want to spend money on this,
[1:50:01] you're not going to get a solution.
[1:50:02] That's just a reality. Um, one
[1:50:06] contributing factor to the inadequate
[1:50:07] response is that the city of Lewon does
[1:50:10] not have a public health department.
[1:50:11] This is a public health crisis. This is
[1:50:13] not a criminal justice crisis.
[1:50:15] These are children who are living in
[1:50:18] fear in the community and they are
[1:50:21] children. They are not juveniles.
[1:50:23] When a child witnesses a friend die,
[1:50:27] they do not they do not respond from a
[1:50:29] logical place. They do not respond from
[1:50:32] an adult thinking process. They are
[1:50:35] developmentally different from adults.
[1:50:37] They are incapable of making rational
[1:50:40] decisions about their behavior when they
[1:50:42] are in fear. Period.
[1:50:47] uh whether whether or not the city uh
[1:50:49] hires uh a public health official to
[1:50:52] kind of oversee this process is not in
[1:50:54] my power, but uh engaging with the main
[1:50:56] CDC and the office of injury and
[1:50:59] violence prevention and the children's
[1:51:00] cabinet are critical for this city to
[1:51:02] engage with. They have the capacity to
[1:51:06] engage in this conversation. Um to this
[1:51:09] end, I reached out to the children's
[1:51:10] cabinet. What I heard back from the
[1:51:12] children's cabinet's representative was
[1:51:14] they don't have discretionary dollars to
[1:51:17] invest in this. I personally have
[1:51:19] problem with that. These are state
[1:51:21] agencies that do have discretionary
[1:51:23] dollars that they're choosing to
[1:51:24] administer in different ways. And so I
[1:51:27] feel putting pressure on the state
[1:51:29] departments that have responsibility
[1:51:31] here. We're talking about the CDC,
[1:51:33] Department of Health and Human Services,
[1:51:34] Department of Public Safety. those
[1:51:37] departments have the capacity to make
[1:51:39] internal changes and assign personnel to
[1:51:42] different tasks uh to address this
[1:51:45] issue.
[1:51:48] Um if the children's cabinet in fact
[1:51:50] doesn't have any money and it's a dead
[1:51:52] end um there are pretty much two other
[1:51:55] courses of action to acquire this money
[1:51:57] maybe three. Uh one is the opioid
[1:52:00] response funds. The the state has spent
[1:52:02] 1.4 million of 3.4 4 million in opioid
[1:52:05] response funds. There's plenty of money
[1:52:07] there. The city has $631,22.18
[1:52:12] in unspent opioid response money that
[1:52:15] can be spent to help resolve this issue.
[1:52:17] Um the second option is uh seeking
[1:52:20] foundation and corporate support. Uh I
[1:52:23] don't think that any foundation or
[1:52:25] corporation would invest in something
[1:52:26] that this community is not willing to
[1:52:28] invest in itself. And so you need to get
[1:52:30] beyond the fact that you you don't want
[1:52:32] to spend money. there's a problem in
[1:52:34] this community that requires resources
[1:52:36] and that means money. Um
[1:52:40] the third access is there's something
[1:52:41] called the JJ, the juvenile justice
[1:52:43] advisory group and they have do have
[1:52:45] some discretionary grant funding and I
[1:52:48] haven't reached out to them personally
[1:52:50] but there are folks in the room who are
[1:52:51] connected as I am who will be looking at
[1:52:53] those dollars and the potential for some
[1:52:55] of those dollars to be addressing this
[1:52:57] situation. Those are the the three
[1:52:59] sources of money that I've been able to
[1:53:00] kind of research and find out there. Um
[1:53:04] my recommendation is that this community
[1:53:06] uh respond to this as a public health
[1:53:08] emergency and that it has uh a public
[1:53:11] safety component. Like I'm not denying
[1:53:13] that these children are shooting guns in
[1:53:16] the street. Like that has to stop.
[1:53:18] Absolutely has to stop. So there is a a
[1:53:20] public safety component to a public
[1:53:22] health crisis. Uh, and all of the issues
[1:53:27] and concerns around how do we detain
[1:53:30] kids or hold kids accountable, I think
[1:53:32] are all valid, but trying to treat
[1:53:35] children like adults is not a response
[1:53:37] that's going to get you the result
[1:53:38] you're looking for. Um, I think the city
[1:53:42] should immediately hire a director of
[1:53:43] public health to begin coordinating this
[1:53:45] response. U the city should uh
[1:53:48] immediately approach the children's
[1:53:50] cabinet and the CDC to ask formally for
[1:53:53] funds and resources. Uh the city should
[1:53:56] petition uh the state to release some of
[1:53:58] their opioid settlement funds. Uh and
[1:54:00] they should release some of their own
[1:54:02] opioid settlement funds. Um, I also
[1:54:04] think that there are community partners
[1:54:07] who are doing work with these young
[1:54:09] people in the community that are being
[1:54:12] effective, but they are doing it with
[1:54:14] existing resources that they are
[1:54:16] stretching to meet a grand need in this
[1:54:18] community. And if those community
[1:54:21] partners had funding, they could expand
[1:54:24] the response and go deep into community
[1:54:27] to help support the families and the
[1:54:29] siblings and the kids that are suffering
[1:54:32] here. This is about fear, children in
[1:54:34] fear. Um, and really there's someone had
[1:54:38] mentioned a a child and LA child and
[1:54:41] well-being collaborative. That's a
[1:54:42] really great group. There is a lot of
[1:54:44] brain power in that group. That group
[1:54:47] can create a strategy that the funding
[1:54:50] that is brought to bear can be used to
[1:54:53] effectively mitigate this problem. And
[1:54:56] that's kind of where I sit.
[1:55:00] >> Thank you very much, director. Uh we're
[1:55:02] going to take questions. We're going to
[1:55:03] start with councelor Nene.
[1:55:07] » At the moment I actually don't have any
[1:55:08] questions. U although I we're long
[1:55:11] overdue for a conversation.
[1:55:13] >> Thank you councelor Long Champs.
[1:55:17] >> Thank you Mr. Mayor. Um so what I'm
[1:55:20] hearing from you is that it seems as
[1:55:21] though there's a funding issue. Um
[1:55:25] correct?
[1:55:27] >> Correct.
[1:55:28] >> Thank you. That's really all.
[1:55:31] >> Councelor Harman,
[1:55:35] >> thank you for being here. Um, I guess my
[1:55:37] question is in your work with New
[1:55:40] Beginnings, do you see much overlap
[1:55:42] between the youth that you serve and the
[1:55:45] youth who are involved in these
[1:55:46] activities or is it is it kind of
[1:55:49] separate groups of people and do you
[1:55:51] have any insights as to why the answer
[1:55:54] might be the way it is?
[1:55:57] uh we we see a slight amount of overlap.
[1:56:00] Our outreach team goes out throughout
[1:56:02] the city. Um but the young people who
[1:56:04] seek services at New Beginnings are not
[1:56:07] the young people who are involved in
[1:56:08] these activities. And so I'm I'm one
[1:56:11] step removed from this and that's why
[1:56:13] I'm not offering uh solutions because I
[1:56:15] am not a gun violence expert. Um and I
[1:56:18] do not primarily work in this particular
[1:56:21] neighborhood or community. And so I
[1:56:23] don't want to step on other people's
[1:56:24] toes who are much more deeply connected
[1:56:26] and understand the problem better than I
[1:56:27] do.
[1:56:29] >> Thank you,
[1:56:31] >> Council Roy.
[1:56:34] >> Thank you. Um I just want to say thank
[1:56:36] you for putting this together and taking
[1:56:39] the time to um to really dig deep and come up with your thoughts. Thank
[1:56:43] you,
[1:56:45] >> Councelor Noble.
[1:56:46] >> My questions were about the program, but
[1:56:49] he's not here to talk about that. So,
[1:56:53] >> councelor Chidum,
[1:56:56] thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, Mr. McNel,
[1:56:58] thank you very much for being here. Um,
[1:57:00] I appreciate your perspective that more
[1:57:03] money could help solve the problem. Um,
[1:57:06] thank you for your viewpoint.
[1:57:09] >> Councelor Martell.
[1:57:15] » Uh, yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um,
[1:57:20] I struggle to to square some of some of
[1:57:23] what you said. So, we just got done
[1:57:25] listening to the superintendent explain
[1:57:27] to us how a 12-year-old seems to be
[1:57:30] using pretty high level logical and
[1:57:32] deductive reasoning skills, figuring out
[1:57:34] where to best find a gun, whether that's
[1:57:36] in a pickup truck and whether they're
[1:57:38] unlocked or whatnot. um that that
[1:57:41] doesn't necessarily scream to me a a
[1:57:44] juvenile that's incompetent of making
[1:57:46] competent decisions is what I believe I
[1:57:48] wrote down what you said or or a child
[1:57:51] living in fear that seems like a
[1:57:53] criminal mindset
[1:57:55] that is uh reasoned and logic based and
[1:57:59] uh results driven. Um could you help me
[1:58:04] square those two things?
[1:58:07] >> Sure. I didn't say that children are not
[1:58:10] excellent creative problem solvers. I
[1:58:12] did not say that children who are backed
[1:58:14] into a corner and have no adult supports
[1:58:17] can't get their needs met by strategies
[1:58:20] that don't meet adult expectations. I
[1:58:23] see every day in my life children who
[1:58:26] have little to no support structure in
[1:58:29] their lives, who do the absolute best
[1:58:33] that they can to solve the problem that
[1:58:35] they are presented with and can argue me
[1:58:39] up and down until I am exhausted and can
[1:58:41] no longer keep up with their circular
[1:58:44] argument. That does not mean that they
[1:58:45] are developmentally
[1:58:47] thinking the way that adults do. The
[1:58:50] biology of children is very different
[1:58:52] from the biology of adults. The human
[1:58:54] brain does not finish developing in a
[1:58:56] female until age 24 and in a male until
[1:58:59] 26. At the age of 13 or 14, we are
[1:59:02] talking about children who are
[1:59:04] terrified. I don't know if anybody in
[1:59:05] here has seen a friend of theirs die in
[1:59:08] the streets before the age of 16. I
[1:59:10] have. My response was not rational. I
[1:59:13] was terrified. I had no adults in my
[1:59:15] life to protect me. I did what I did to
[1:59:17] protect myself out of fear so I wouldn't
[1:59:19] be the next one. I luckily survived
[1:59:22] that. These kids are facing the same
[1:59:24] thing. They don't know what the
[1:59:26] going on. They are doing what they can
[1:59:28] to keep themselves alive based on
[1:59:30] visceral reactions to horrible realities
[1:59:33] in the street.
[1:59:38] » I appreciate you coming tonight. I
[1:59:39] fundamentally disagree with everything
[1:59:41] you said.
[1:59:44] any uh and I appreciate your your
[1:59:47] fervor, but if we can uh refrain from
[1:59:50] profanity here, that would be great.
[1:59:51] >> I'm sorry. I apologize to everybody.
[1:59:53] >> You are good. Um further questions uh
[1:59:56] from the council.
[1:59:58] Director Bricknell, uh I appreciate your
[2:00:00] service to our city. Thank you so much
[2:00:02] and thank you for being here.
[2:00:09] We are now bringing up uh Duncan Pierre
[2:00:13] uh from Restorative Justice Project.
[2:00:15] Thank you so much for being here Duncan.
[2:00:27] » Good evening y'all. How you doing?
[2:00:30] Um, I'm here as a father and um as a
[2:00:35] husband even though I work for
[2:00:37] Restorative Justice Project. I'm
[2:00:38] actually on vacation, you know, sporting
[2:00:40] a t-shirt and shorts. Um, but I work
[2:00:43] with these young people in this
[2:00:44] community every single day. Um, and what
[2:00:47] I'm seeing is uh they don't lack for
[2:00:50] accountability. We live in a society
[2:00:52] that um enforces that. What I'm seeing
[2:00:55] is a lack of support. Um, as the
[2:01:00] superintendent mentioned, a lot of these
[2:01:02] youth are expelled. So, if I'm 12 or 13
[2:01:05] and um, I spend the day not in school
[2:01:09] and my parents are at work, the people
[2:01:11] are supposed to be supporting me, like
[2:01:12] what am I supposed to do? I find myself
[2:01:14] outside with another group of expelled
[2:01:17] kids. So, for me, um, I saw this coming
[2:01:21] few years ago and I thought to myself,
[2:01:23] how could I intervene? Even though, like
[2:01:25] I said, you know, I work with youth, I
[2:01:28] try to go above and beyond what I do
[2:01:30] just as a private citizen. And I think
[2:01:33] my call to action to the community would
[2:01:36] be to anybody who cares enough, cuz
[2:01:38] that's not going to be everybody, but if
[2:01:40] anybody who cares enough to want to come
[2:01:43] into the community and support these
[2:01:45] youth, um, as we're mentioned, we're
[2:01:47] talking about 29 youth, maybe in
[2:01:49] peripheral like 50.
[2:01:52] uh you know if took him to McDonald's,
[2:01:55] sat him down, had a conversation about
[2:01:57] like what's your life like? What's going
[2:01:59] on around you? You know, what are the
[2:02:01] things that you've seen and how has life
[2:02:02] impacted you? And I, you know, for me
[2:02:05] personally as my testimony um as a man
[2:02:08] of faith, there are things that, you
[2:02:10] know, I didn't know as a young child
[2:02:11] that I had to grow to understand. And it
[2:02:14] took people to come into my life to help
[2:02:16] and support me to get me where where I
[2:02:19] am today. And I'm very grateful for
[2:02:20] those people. And I'm hoping that as a
[2:02:23] community we can have some people
[2:02:26] because we don't have money. So we can
[2:02:28] wait for the money. We can wait for the
[2:02:29] legislators. That's going to take time.
[2:02:31] But as of right now, what we can do
[2:02:32] tomorrow, we can go out on the street
[2:02:35] and talk to some kids. We can try to
[2:02:37] take the effort to find out who they are
[2:02:39] and spend some time with them. Um today
[2:02:42] I was supporting some young people. Took
[2:02:44] them McDonald's. We were making a bench.
[2:02:46] You mean like there's so many things
[2:02:48] that we could potentially do within your
[2:02:50] scope and power of influence. So that's
[2:02:52] all I got to say. Thank you guys for
[2:02:54] giving me the time.
[2:02:58] » Thank you very much, Duncan. Uh we're
[2:03:01] going to start with uh Councelor
[2:03:02] Martell. Do you have uh questions?
[2:03:08] » No, thank you, Mr. Mayor.
[2:03:10] >> Councelor Chidum.
[2:03:13] Thank you, Mr. Pierre. No, I have no
[2:03:15] questions other than how do I get in
[2:03:17] touch with you?
[2:03:19] >> We will coordinate that. Councelor
[2:03:21] Noble,
[2:03:24] >> I don't have any questions at this time.
[2:03:27] >> Councelor Roy, councelor Chidum, uh be
[2:03:30] me to
[2:03:34] » uh councelor Herman. Yes,
[2:03:36] >> thank you for being here. Um I guess in
[2:03:39] your experience with the with the youth
[2:03:42] you work with, question.
[2:03:45] >> Uh, in your experience with the youth
[2:03:46] that you work with, do you see any any
[2:03:51] I'm sure there are some common threads
[2:03:54] that of things that they're
[2:03:56] experiencing. Um, are there any that you
[2:03:59] see that that we could just as a
[2:04:02] community be aware of to look for um and
[2:04:06] possibly support them through whatever
[2:04:10] challenges they're facing?
[2:04:13] Um what I would say is uh there's
[2:04:16] actually not a lack of resources that
[2:04:19] could help them, but it's a matter of
[2:04:21] are they engaging in those resources,
[2:04:23] right? So take an expelled kid who has a
[2:04:25] re-entry plan. Um how do we get them to
[2:04:28] engage in that re-entry plan that will
[2:04:30] actually help them get back in school?
[2:04:32] you know, what are the supports that
[2:04:34] they need to calm their body, calm their
[2:04:36] minds, you know, work through and heal
[2:04:38] through some of the trauma that they're
[2:04:39] experienced so that they can get to the
[2:04:40] point where, you know, they could go
[2:04:43] back to school, get an education, do the
[2:04:44] things that they need to succeed in
[2:04:46] life. Like, we have we know what they
[2:04:47] got to do. It's just a matter of helping
[2:04:48] them to do it. And, um, I don't think,
[2:04:52] this is my personal opinion, I don't
[2:04:54] think that is it lies on the
[2:04:56] professionals, you know. Um, I'm
[2:04:58] grateful for all you guys, but I'm
[2:05:00] hoping to plead to your humanity as
[2:05:02] people, not mayor, police commissioner,
[2:05:05] superintendent. Like, it's it's your
[2:05:07] humanity that cares for a 13-year-old
[2:05:09] who shoots a 14-year-old that says, "Yo,
[2:05:11] this ain't right. What can we do to
[2:05:14] intervene in their lives to help them?"
[2:05:16] And that is supporting them so that they
[2:05:18] can engage in the counseling and the
[2:05:21] school and the, you know, the the
[2:05:24] parenting.
[2:05:27] Thank you,
[2:05:30] >> councelor Long Champs.
[2:05:32] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, thank you for
[2:05:34] being here.
[2:05:37] >> I think it's going to take a lot of uh
[2:05:40] we're going to have to come up with lots
[2:05:41] of different ways to um there's many
[2:05:44] layers to this and you're absolutely
[2:05:46] right. Um, I see you almost every day at
[2:05:49] the store, uh, with a lot of the
[2:05:52] teenagers,
[2:05:53] um, that come in that I love dearly, uh,
[2:05:57] and that I think care about me, too. Um,
[2:05:59] but you're right, it is taking a moment.
[2:06:01] I will say that it does make a
[2:06:03] difference. And although we're here to
[2:06:06] really, uh, touch on gun violence, but,
[2:06:09] you know, a lot of the kids that are
[2:06:11] committing these crimes, uh, they don't
[2:06:14] have good mentors.
[2:06:16] And although we can sit here and say,
[2:06:18] "Well, it's not our responsibility.
[2:06:19] They're not our kids." Um, it is our
[2:06:23] responsibility. It doesn't take long.
[2:06:25] Um, I I'll share that I know it makes a
[2:06:28] difference and it is a part of
[2:06:32] um really getting to uh hopefully solve
[2:06:36] some of these bigger issues that we're
[2:06:38] having. So, I'm grateful that you spend
[2:06:40] so much time uh in the downtown area.
[2:06:44] I'm grateful that um you are a man of
[2:06:47] humanity and you really care about our
[2:06:50] youth and it is a large part of helping
[2:06:53] solve this problem. So thank you
[2:06:57] >> councelor Naene.
[2:07:00] >> Thank you Mr. Mayor. Uh thank you for
[2:07:02] being here. Um one of the things that
[2:07:04] you brought up resonates completely. Um
[2:07:08] the piece that you're talking about with
[2:07:10] the 13 and the 14y old that was my
[2:07:12] neighborhood. Um,
[2:07:14] one of the things that I've heard
[2:07:16] repetitively, um, not only it's a
[2:07:20] question of fear, as as Superintendent
[2:07:24] Langlas had said, but it's a question of
[2:07:26] care, right? I've heard kids literally
[2:07:29] say, "Nobody cares if I carry a gun.
[2:07:32] Nobody cares where I'm at, what I'm
[2:07:35] doing at any given time." And so, I
[2:07:37] think you you've made a lot of good
[2:07:38] points. I think the challenge is
[2:07:41] getting kids to engage in systems that
[2:07:44] improve uh their lives, deal with the
[2:07:46] trauma that they're dealing with, all
[2:07:48] these other pieces. And unfortunately,
[2:07:50] we don't have a mandate to make that
[2:07:53] happen. And so, you're right, if more
[2:07:56] people cared, I think it's possible, but
[2:07:58] there has to be a way to to
[2:08:01] um
[2:08:03] let our kids know in our community that they are our kids and we do care
[2:08:06] about them, you know.
[2:08:11] Further uh further questions from the
[2:08:13] council.
[2:08:15] Duncan, thank you so much for being
[2:08:17] here.
[2:08:24] » We will now be joined by Christine uh
[2:08:26] Thibo uh who's also bringing a
[2:08:28] colleague. Uh they're both from the
[2:08:31] Department of Corrections. Uh if you can
[2:08:33] please introduce yourself uh once you're ready.
[2:08:46] » Good evening everyone. My name is
[2:08:47] Christine Tibo. I am the associate
[2:08:49] commissioner for the department of
[2:08:51] corrections division of juvenile
[2:08:52] services. Uh for those of you that
[2:08:55] aren't familiar with that branch of the
[2:08:56] department, we oversee
[2:08:59] Juvenile Community Corrections, which
[2:09:01] you've heard about a little this
[2:09:03] evening, and Long Creek Youth
[2:09:05] Development Center, which I'm sure
[2:09:06] you're all familiar with. Um but the big
[2:09:09] secret that I like to let out of the bag
[2:09:12] is that we also invest $4.6 $6 million
[2:09:15] in the community in many of the programs
[2:09:17] uh like mentoring uh restorative justice
[2:09:21] MST and FFT for the clinicians in the
[2:09:24] room things that we're hoping will keep
[2:09:27] youth out of the system as well. Um so that's what the division does, but
[2:09:31] I'll allow Jill to introduce herself as
[2:09:34] well.
[2:09:34] >> Thank you, Christine. My name is Jill
[2:09:37] O'Brien. I'm the director of government
[2:09:39] affairs for the Department of
[2:09:40] Corrections, which means I go to the
[2:09:42] legislative committee hearings where
[2:09:44] they're debating the bills that we were
[2:09:46] talking about. Um I there are bills that
[2:09:49] the department wants passed over the
[2:09:51] course of the session. Um and I work
[2:09:53] with all of the different divisions of
[2:09:55] corrections to identify what's working,
[2:09:58] what's not, and coordinate with other
[2:09:59] agencies. As Christine mentioned, the
[2:10:02] Department of Corrections is involved
[2:10:05] through our juvenile community
[2:10:06] corrections. So, juvenile probation is
[2:10:09] administered by the department of
[2:10:10] corrections in Maine. And we also run
[2:10:13] Long Creek Youth Development Center,
[2:10:15] which holds both detained and committed
[2:10:18] youth. So, detained youth are those that
[2:10:20] are going through the juvenile process,
[2:10:23] but no determination has been made yet
[2:10:25] as to whether they committed a juvenile
[2:10:27] crime or not. And then the committed are
[2:10:30] those who have been found to have
[2:10:32] committed the offense. And a judge has a
[2:10:34] few options. One of them is to commit
[2:10:36] the juvenile to Long Creek to the
[2:10:38] Department of Corrections custody and
[2:10:40] usually until a certain age, be it 18,
[2:10:43] 21, or for six or nine months, whatever
[2:10:45] period of time the court decides is
[2:10:47] appropriate.
[2:10:50] As Christine mentioned, uh we spent $4.6
[2:10:52] million statewide for community programs
[2:10:55] and over $1.4 million of that for region
[2:10:59] 2, the region that includes Lewon. And
[2:11:01] we fight every budget cycle to keep
[2:11:03] those programs going. It's not a matter
[2:11:06] of the state having a lot of money that
[2:11:08] they're just not giving out. The budget
[2:11:10] is tight there, too. And we we find this
[2:11:12] extraordinarily important and Christine
[2:11:14] has done a lot um and the department has
[2:11:16] done a lot to make sure those programs
[2:11:18] keep going.
[2:11:21] We heard about this meeting and we
[2:11:23] inserted ourselves because we think
[2:11:24] we're an important part of this process.
[2:11:26] And I think Christine can clear up
[2:11:28] there's some uh the juvenile court
[2:11:31] system is complicated and the
[2:11:34] determinations the judge makes about
[2:11:35] competence are based on experts opinions
[2:11:38] of competence. So without delving into
[2:11:41] the specifics of each case that's hard
[2:11:42] to do. Um and legislative changes are
[2:11:46] can be challenging and there's been a
[2:11:47] push over the last few years to have
[2:11:50] detention to be a a more difficult thing
[2:11:52] for a judge to order. And so that's a
[2:11:55] policy decision that you can all tell
[2:11:58] your legislators how you feel about it.
[2:12:03] So just to give you a little bit of my
[2:12:05] background, I've been working in Maine's
[2:12:07] juvenile justice system for 30 years.
[2:12:10] And I see juvenile justice as an art.
[2:12:13] And the art of juvenile justice is
[2:12:16] figuring out that individual kid. Much
[2:12:18] like Superintendent Langless said, each
[2:12:20] kid comes to us as an individual. Some
[2:12:23] of the youth we see I I would describe
[2:12:26] as normative delinquent behavior. I'm
[2:12:28] not going to ask you to raise your hand
[2:12:29] if you broke the law when you were a
[2:12:31] teenager, but statistics say most of us
[2:12:35] did and we were fine. Um those youth we
[2:12:40] like to divert. We don't believe they
[2:12:42] need the courts. Uh we don't believe
[2:12:44] they need expensive programming to fix
[2:12:47] problems that may not exist. So, we like
[2:12:49] to divert them with as light a touch as
[2:12:52] possible and we rely on our community-
[2:12:54] based organizations.
[2:12:56] Secondly, we see kids that aren't really
[2:12:59] risk of causing problems in the
[2:13:02] community, big problems, but they have
[2:13:05] huge needs. And you've heard others this
[2:13:08] evening talk about the needs, housing,
[2:13:11] poverty, um mental health, substance
[2:13:14] use, those challenges that we have uh
[2:13:17] that we see in the Department of
[2:13:18] Corrections. Those youth need a lot of
[2:13:21] services and support. Um but at the end
[2:13:25] of the day, they are not likely to be
[2:13:28] long-term recidivists.
[2:13:30] A small number. And I'm pleased to tell
[2:13:32] you that I think this is a minority of
[2:13:34] the youth that we see in juvenile
[2:13:36] justice are youth who are very high risk
[2:13:41] youth for reaffending. And that's part
[2:13:43] of our job is to do assessments and
[2:13:46] figure out what what's the youth before
[2:13:48] us. Is this a high needs kid? maybe DHS
[2:13:52] needs to do more. If there's a risk that youth is going to continue to be a
[2:13:57] uh a danger to themselves as well as all
[2:14:00] of you, we want to take a different
[2:14:02] approach and address those risks. And
[2:14:06] science tells us and there are programs
[2:14:08] that tell us what works. And so we're
[2:14:10] really trying to prioritize what we know
[2:14:13] works for those high-risisk kids. And
[2:14:15] you've heard it from uh from others
[2:14:17] before me. Mentoring
[2:14:20] um that is a big a big one. And
[2:14:23] engagement requires us to find the right
[2:14:26] people. Um although we may all want to
[2:14:28] reach out to the kids in Lewon and help,
[2:14:32] we know that there are individuals that
[2:14:34] are younger that are more um in line
[2:14:37] with their cultural backgrounds. They're
[2:14:41] going to be more effective. So we spend
[2:14:42] time trying to find the right kid, the
[2:14:45] right supports for the right youth in
[2:14:47] our mentoring programs. Restorative
[2:14:49] justice, um, Mr. Pierre works for
[2:14:51] Restorative Justice uh, Project of
[2:14:53] Maine. We help fund them. We actually
[2:14:56] have a contract with them to provide
[2:14:58] restorative justice for all of region 2,
[2:15:00] which includes uh, Lewon. We h have
[2:15:05] adopted new models of supervising youth
[2:15:08] and and we supervise DOC supervise youth
[2:15:11] from the point of arrest all the way
[2:15:13] until they leave the juvenile justice
[2:15:15] system. So if they're on conditions of
[2:15:17] release, if they're on probation, if
[2:15:19] they're at Long Creek, that juvenile
[2:15:21] community corrections officer is the
[2:15:24] constant most of the time, not always,
[2:15:26] but most of the time the constant
[2:15:28] through that youth's life. So we focus
[2:15:31] on uh JCCOs as coaches not referees. We
[2:15:37] want to provide supports. We want to
[2:15:39] provide incentives. We want to help
[2:15:42] reduce the risk by increasing strengths
[2:15:46] and assets. Um and we we also have
[2:15:50] family engaged CA case planning. That's
[2:15:53] part of the Annie Casey Foundation
[2:15:55] program that we're working with juvenile
[2:15:57] probation transformation. And it relies
[2:15:59] heavily on family engagement because we
[2:16:02] recognize that youth will always have
[2:16:05] their family. They'll always go back to
[2:16:07] their family. So, we need to work with
[2:16:09] them as a whole unit.
[2:16:12] Um, just to give you some some numbers,
[2:16:15] today there are 49 residents of Long
[2:16:17] Creek and there are a lot of myths and
[2:16:20] misconceptions about what happens at
[2:16:21] Long Creek. And I won't pretend that
[2:16:24] it's all wonderful, but there are good
[2:16:27] things that happen at Long Creek. 49 of
[2:16:29] the residents today, uh, of those 20 are
[2:16:33] committed, as Jill said, they are youth
[2:16:35] who've been adjudicated and sentenced to
[2:16:38] stay at Long Creek and do a
[2:16:39] rehabilitative program. And 29 of those
[2:16:43] youth are detained. And to circle back
[2:16:45] to a question that was answered earlier,
[2:16:47] are there limitations on how long a
[2:16:50] juvenile can be detained at Long Creek?
[2:16:53] Yes, but it's a very narrow limitation.
[2:16:55] If a youth is under age 12, which would
[2:16:58] basically be an 11year-old who's at Long
[2:17:01] Creek, that youth can only be detained
[2:17:04] more than seven days, uh, if both the
[2:17:07] prosecutor and the defense attorney
[2:17:08] agree. I'm happy to say we do not have
[2:17:12] any 11 year olds at Long Creek. We do
[2:17:15] have youth who've been there for a day
[2:17:17] and then they're released um by the
[2:17:20] courts or or sometimes by us and we have
[2:17:24] youth who've been there over well over a
[2:17:26] year. One of the benefits of Long Creek
[2:17:29] and this kind of ties in the competence
[2:17:31] issue. If even if a youth is in the
[2:17:35] juvenile process and a competent comp
[2:17:38] competence determination is being made,
[2:17:40] the judge hasn't decided yet. They're
[2:17:42] still doing the evaluations.
[2:17:44] That youth can be detained at Long
[2:17:46] Creek.
[2:17:49] Recently, in the p within the past year
[2:17:51] or so, um there has been one youth who
[2:17:54] is there for a very serious crime who
[2:17:56] was found not competent but possibly
[2:17:59] could become competent. DOC worked with
[2:18:02] the state forensic services, um the
[2:18:05] department of health, health and human
[2:18:06] services, office of behavioral health
[2:18:09] and our clinical providers, Wellpath,
[2:18:11] who do tremendous amount of work with
[2:18:14] all the youth there to develop a system
[2:18:16] for establishing competence for those
[2:18:19] juveniles.
[2:18:21] And uh so that juvenile was first found
[2:18:23] not competent but possibly could be
[2:18:26] competent. at the next court date, the
[2:18:28] court found that that youth was
[2:18:30] competent as a result of the services
[2:18:32] that were pro provided to that resident
[2:18:35] while at Long Creek. So, there is a lot
[2:18:39] of good being done there as well. Um,
[2:18:43] you know, our our system is complex and
[2:18:46] I I'm going to repeat what you've heard
[2:18:48] several times tonight. We're proud to
[2:18:50] work with local law enforcement,
[2:18:53] community programs, the schools because
[2:18:56] we recognize this is not a problem that
[2:18:58] we are going to solve alone. Uh this is
[2:19:01] a big community pro problem. Um I will
[2:19:04] defer to Jill about any legislative
[2:19:07] questions or did you want to add
[2:19:10] anything? Just that uh certainly
[2:19:15] not every youth's experience at Long
[2:19:17] Creek is wonderful. it for detained
[2:19:19] youth it is a stable environment staffed
[2:19:22] by people who care tremendously for the
[2:19:24] youth. It is without a doubt disruptive.
[2:19:27] Um by the way the system is set up youth
[2:19:30] at Long Creek if they're detained their
[2:19:33] home schools are still responsible for
[2:19:35] their education. So it's remote school
[2:19:37] that's disruptive um for committed
[2:19:39] youth. Long Creek has an accredited
[2:19:41] school. Um there are a lot of wonderful
[2:19:43] things going on there. Um but certainly
[2:19:45] it is disruptive and better for people
[2:19:48] to remain in a home that is supportive.
[2:19:51] Happy to answer questions I can about
[2:19:52] the legislative process and the
[2:19:54] department.
[2:19:58] » Uh we uh yes we will now uh take
[2:20:02] questions from counselors. Uh councelor
[2:20:04] Nene.
[2:20:06] >> Thank you Mr. Mayor. Um I I do have a
[2:20:09] couple of questions about um when you're
[2:20:12] releasing uh juvenile
[2:20:16] it's a I guess it's a procedural
[2:20:18] question but in many cases it seems that
[2:20:20] we release juveniles before they appear
[2:20:22] before a judge uh for especially for
[2:20:24] like let's say misdemeanor crimes um if
[2:20:28] you've for instance stolen a vehicle
[2:20:31] right which we call joy riding you don't
[2:20:34] actually appear before a judge before
[2:20:36] you're released is the Is that correct?
[2:20:39] >> It's complicated. So, um, we are subject
[2:20:43] to all of the laws that are in the
[2:20:44] juvenile code, the same laws that govern
[2:20:46] the DA's office, and there are clear
[2:20:50] statutory guidelines on when a youth can
[2:20:53] be detained at Longre. First, you need
[2:20:55] to have a criteria for detention, which
[2:20:57] means the youth has to have had uh
[2:21:00] felony level allegations or they've
[2:21:03] violated a condition of probation or
[2:21:06] condition of release um or they are um
[2:21:11] have a failure a warrant. There there
[2:21:13] are certain criteria that exceptions,
[2:21:16] but by and large, if a youth commits a
[2:21:19] misdemeanor level offense and they don't
[2:21:21] have history in the system, the law does
[2:21:25] not allow that juvenile to be detained.
[2:21:28] If it's a felony, then detention is
[2:21:30] possible.
[2:21:32] >> Thank you very much. Uh second question
[2:21:34] would be when a determination of
[2:21:36] competency competency or non-competency
[2:21:39] is is found um can that be challenged or
[2:21:43] is that just accepted um as
[2:21:47] what it is?
[2:21:50] >> The competence determination is made in
[2:21:53] my experience so should be made solely
[2:21:55] by the judge. Um and often it's with a
[2:21:58] hearing not always. Sometimes it's very
[2:22:00] clear one way or the other whether the
[2:22:02] juvenile is or is not competent. But a
[2:22:04] judge makes a determination on whether
[2:22:07] the juvenile is competent. If the
[2:22:10] juvenile is found not competent and not
[2:22:13] likely to become competent, the judge
[2:22:16] has three statutory options. One, the
[2:22:19] judge could place the juvenile in DHS
[2:22:22] custody.
[2:22:24] Two, they can refer the juvenile to the
[2:22:26] Department of Health and Human Services
[2:22:28] for what's essentially voluntary
[2:22:30] services. So DHS works with the family
[2:22:33] to provide whatever they need or the
[2:22:36] judge can order nothing. At the end of
[2:22:39] that decision, between those three
[2:22:41] choices, the juvenile charge is
[2:22:44] dismissed. So there's nothing further
[2:22:46] pending in the court. Now,
[2:22:50] could could an attorney for either side
[2:22:53] appeal a competence decision to the
[2:22:56] Supreme Court? Yes. I to the best of my
[2:22:59] knowledge, there has not been any appeal
[2:23:01] on a a juvenile competence
[2:23:03] determination, but in theory, yes. And the last question that I have is if
[2:23:08] we're releasing juveniles that have
[2:23:10] commit committed misdemeanors
[2:23:12] um before um
[2:23:16] well basically without without holding
[2:23:18] them, do we then determine after we
[2:23:20] release these juveniles if their uh home
[2:23:24] life is stable and supportive and their
[2:23:27] community uh situation is is such that
[2:23:30] their their likelihood of recidivism is
[2:23:32] low or do we not care about juvenile
[2:23:36] um misdemeanor crimes. As far as
[2:23:38] determining those pieces,
[2:23:41] >> we definitely care. So, the youth gets
[2:23:44] referred from law enforcement to DOC and
[2:23:47] the JCCOS's will do an initial meeting
[2:23:49] with the family, talk about what's going
[2:23:52] on, uh asks about strengths and
[2:23:55] challenges in the home, and if it's a
[2:23:58] minor offense and the DA approves, we
[2:24:00] can divert that case and handle it
[2:24:02] informally. If there appears to be a
[2:24:05] need for more intervention and perhaps
[2:24:07] court-ordered services, then the case
[2:24:10] goes on to court. But every case that
[2:24:12] comes to the DOC, we do uh what's called
[2:24:16] the youth level of service inventory.
[2:24:18] It's a it's a risk assessment that kind
[2:24:21] of helps us identify which youth are
[2:24:25] doing okay, don't really need a lot of
[2:24:27] intervention, and those that need more.
[2:24:31] Thank you so much very much for all
[2:24:32] that.
[2:24:34] Councelor Long Champs.
[2:24:36] >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, could you remind
[2:24:39] me of that uh dollar value, the the
[2:24:42] amount of money that is uh going out to
[2:24:45] organizations?
[2:24:47] Can you remind uh me of that 4 million
[2:24:52] that's going out to organizations?
[2:24:55] >> Yes, counselor. Statewide 4.6 6 million
[2:24:58] in fiscal year 2026 and for region 2 it
[2:25:02] was 1.4 million.
[2:25:04] >> And what organizations uh is that being
[2:25:07] uh given to?
[2:25:08] >> There's approximately 10.
[2:25:10] >> May I have the names?
[2:25:12] >> Uh New Beginnings. We support New
[2:25:13] Beginnings Shelter, Tree Street,
[2:25:15] Spurwink, Main Behavioral Health,
[2:25:17] Restorative Justice Project, the
[2:25:19] statewide regional care teams, Prebble
[2:25:22] Street, etc. Was that 10?
[2:25:27] >> Uh,
[2:25:28] >> we have a few others
[2:25:30] >> that you can't share or
[2:25:31] >> No, I'm I'm happy to keep going. Um,
[2:25:33] >> please.
[2:25:36] >> Youth advocate program, Tree Street,
[2:25:38] Journey.do, main immigrant and refugee
[2:25:40] services, several several community
[2:25:42] programs.
[2:25:43] >> Thank you. Um,
[2:25:46] how do you track the success coming from
[2:25:49] uh those programs? Do you and how do
[2:25:51] you? So we certainly Christine, would
[2:25:54] you like to?
[2:25:55] >> Yeah. So we have a fabulous uh contract
[2:25:59] manager who keeps reports. She requires
[2:26:02] monthly reports from all of those
[2:26:04] organizations on the number of youth
[2:26:06] they've served. Uh a program like MST
[2:26:09] with multi-istic therapy. We don't
[2:26:12] necessarily get into the details of what
[2:26:15] that was about, but that whether the
[2:26:17] youth and the family engaged in the
[2:26:19] services or whether they were closed out
[2:26:22] prematurely for some reason, we keep
[2:26:23] that kind of data. Um, all of the
[2:26:26] programs do have to provide some
[2:26:28] documentation of how they're using the
[2:26:30] funds that we uh allocate to them. So,
[2:26:34] sometimes we ask for receipts and
[2:26:37] documentation on spending.
[2:26:40] >> Thank you. Um,
[2:26:42] I know there are uh a large number of
[2:26:46] folks that disagree or would rather uh
[2:26:49] not see Long Creek exist. Um, I think
[2:26:52] Long Creek is very important. I did a
[2:26:54] lot of volunteering there. Um, and I I
[2:26:58] think it's very important to have a safe
[2:27:00] place um for juveniles to go when they
[2:27:04] have committed crimes. So, I hope uh
[2:27:07] Long Creek plans to stay for a long
[2:27:09] time. I think it's very needed. Um,
[2:27:13] I did have one more question,
[2:27:19] » but I can't remember.
[2:27:20] >> We can come back to you, counselor.
[2:27:23] Uh, councelor councelor Herman,
[2:27:27] >> thank you both for being here. Um,
[2:27:29] councelor Nene touched on this a little
[2:27:31] bit, but when you when you make the
[2:27:34] decision to release someone uh release a
[2:27:37] juvenile to their family, um you
[2:27:40] mentioned that that that family
[2:27:42] engagement is important. What happens if
[2:27:44] the family for whatever reason, whether
[2:27:47] it's um lack of resources or um you
[2:27:52] know, whatever reason it is, they're not
[2:27:54] really able to support that juvenile in
[2:27:57] the way they need. Um what what sorts of options are there then?
[2:28:05] >> So, one of our contracts is with two
[2:28:08] separate agencies, the Opportunity
[2:28:09] Alliance and Wings. They cover different
[2:28:13] parts of the state and they have
[2:28:16] highfidelity wraparound programs. That
[2:28:18] is a system that's designed for exactly
[2:28:21] those youth to uh help identify natural
[2:28:24] supports in the community. Um support
[2:28:27] parents as best they can but supplement
[2:28:30] where the parents are are not able to do
[2:28:34] all that they need. mentoring programs.
[2:28:36] We have the youth advocate program. Uh
[2:28:39] and and as even though they are very caring and they do a great job,
[2:28:44] they are struggling with staffing. To
[2:28:46] echo another concern that you've heard
[2:28:48] several times, um their staffing is
[2:28:51] difficult for them to retain and and
[2:28:53] keep long term. But those kinds of
[2:28:56] things we do we we recognize that not
[2:28:58] all parents have the resources that that
[2:29:01] we that the kids need.
[2:29:04] Okay. Thank you,
[2:29:07] >> Councelor Roy.
[2:29:10] >> Thank you. Um, one of the questions I
[2:29:13] hope that you might be able to answer
[2:29:14] is, um,
[2:29:16] what is the approach if you have a youth
[2:29:19] that goes before you
[2:29:22] and you let go for doing a crime and
[2:29:26] then they come back within a month or
[2:29:28] maybe even a week or two? Is there an
[2:29:31] approach that you follow? cuz we heard
[2:29:32] earlier that we're having repeat youth
[2:29:36] out there and it just they keep uh the
[2:29:38] youth keep getting uh let back into the
[2:29:42] city. So
[2:29:44] >> So every youth who is arrested by law
[2:29:47] enforcement and detained at Long Creek
[2:29:49] appears before a judge within 48
[2:29:51] business hours. That judge can decide
[2:29:54] whether to release the youth at court on
[2:29:57] that day and and sometimes they do. Um,
[2:30:01] the judge may order that the youth be
[2:30:04] detained at Long Creek, but allow the
[2:30:07] JCCO, the discretion, to release that
[2:30:10] youth once services are in place, or the
[2:30:14] judge can order that the youth be held
[2:30:16] with no right to release, meaning only a
[2:30:19] judge can now release that youth from
[2:30:22] Long Creek. Um, so if the JCCO happens
[2:30:26] to be uh have that discretion, usually
[2:30:29] what happens is we have a team meeting
[2:30:31] where we pull together attorneys and uh
[2:30:35] JCCO if there's a community case
[2:30:37] manager.
[2:30:39] The expectation is that within 5 days of
[2:30:42] that original detention that the JCCOs
[2:30:45] have pulled together the supports for
[2:30:47] that youth and and everybody comes
[2:30:49] together to make a release plan. Um, so
[2:30:53] is it perfect? Absolutely not. Um, but
[2:30:55] we certainly do look at all of the
[2:30:57] factors and the risks of of reaffending.
[2:31:02] Uh, I had a psychologist tell me once
[2:31:04] the best predictor of future behavior is
[2:31:06] past behavior. So, we look at, you know,
[2:31:08] the history and and the domains, not
[2:31:11] just what's happening on the streets of
[2:31:13] Lewon, but what's happening in the
[2:31:14] school, what's happening in the home,
[2:31:16] uh, what are the support resources. So,
[2:31:19] it's not a knee-jerk. we're gonna
[2:31:21] release this youth and hope for the best
[2:31:23] there. It's a very thoughtful
[2:31:24] decision-making process.
[2:31:27] >> Thank you for that. Um, so going into
[2:31:29] that, are what are the rehabilitation
[2:31:32] services that you have at Long Creek to
[2:31:35] help prevent patterns?
[2:31:39] » So, thank you for this opportunity to
[2:31:42] debunk some myths. um youth. So, as as
[2:31:45] Jill mentioned, youth are there either
[2:31:47] on a detained status or on a committed
[2:31:50] status. Youth who are detained have not
[2:31:52] yet been adjudicated. They are presumed
[2:31:55] innocent. They have due process rights.
[2:31:57] We don't dive into the behaviors that
[2:32:00] they've been alleged to commit. What we
[2:32:03] do provide to youth who are they
[2:32:05] detained status is clinical support.
[2:32:09] Pardon me. uh clinical support. We have
[2:32:12] on-site and on call uh clinical
[2:32:16] behavioral specialists. We have a
[2:32:18] psychiatric nurse practitioner, doctors,
[2:32:21] dentist. Um all of those services that
[2:32:25] help stabilize the youth in that
[2:32:28] environment, we provide to the detained
[2:32:30] youth. So, if they're having a a mental
[2:32:32] health crisis or engaging in self harm,
[2:32:36] we respond to that. We have an excellent
[2:32:38] team of Wellpath clinicians that respond
[2:32:40] to that immediately
[2:32:42] once the youth is adjudicated and if
[2:32:45] they are committed to Long Creek, we do
[2:32:48] 30 days of assessments on education
[2:32:50] needs. Oh, let me back up. Detained
[2:32:52] youth, uh, as Jill said, they remain the
[2:32:55] responsibility of the home school, but
[2:32:58] the homeschool can choose to have them
[2:33:00] attend classes at our internal school,
[2:33:03] AR Gold, and award credits. And most of
[2:33:06] the time that's what the schools will do
[2:33:08] uh just because it is less disruptive
[2:33:10] than sending in independent teachers. So
[2:33:14] for the detained kids they get
[2:33:15] education, they get uh stabilization,
[2:33:18] mental health stabilization, medical
[2:33:20] needs. Uh they get to be part of all of
[2:33:23] the activities that are going on in the
[2:33:26] facility. They're not precluded from
[2:33:28] having visitors or engaging. We had a a
[2:33:31] fun summer fun day last week. They get
[2:33:33] to participate in all of that stuff. The
[2:33:35] only thing they don't get is an
[2:33:38] exploration of what led to that criminal
[2:33:42] conduct. That happens exclusively with
[2:33:44] youth who are committed after they've
[2:33:46] been adjudicated and after there's been
[2:33:49] an assessment. We have sexual behavior
[2:33:51] treatment if that's part of the issue.
[2:33:53] Substance use treatment is is almost
[2:33:57] universal. Not always but uh the youth
[2:34:00] who are detained do get substance use
[2:34:02] education as well. They get some of that
[2:34:04] work. Uh certainly anger management we
[2:34:07] have a tool called the savvery um that
[2:34:10] assesses risk of violence and depending
[2:34:13] on how the youth comes out on that
[2:34:15] assessment. We do different types of
[2:34:17] intervention around um you know helping
[2:34:20] to prevent future violence,
[2:34:22] self-regulation skills, uh trauma work,
[2:34:25] all of the things you've heard about.
[2:34:27] that uh but that again is a very
[2:34:29] thoughtful and well-informed process. It
[2:34:32] takes about 30 days to really gather
[2:34:34] psychological testing, education
[2:34:36] testing, IEPs if they have them from
[2:34:39] schools. So there there's a lot that
[2:34:41] happens there that you you don't read
[2:34:44] about that in the paper, but there is a
[2:34:46] lot happening there.
[2:34:48] >> Thank you for that. And two really quick
[2:34:50] questions. Um one, what happens if they
[2:34:52] don't participate? Is there fall fall
[2:34:56] back for or is there like a way
[2:34:59] repercussions? Thank you.
[2:35:02] >> Well, certainly we can't force a youth
[2:35:06] to do something they don't want to do,
[2:35:07] but we try to incentivize them. So, we
[2:35:10] have level systems. We have, you know,
[2:35:13] the the higher you are on the level, the
[2:35:15] more privileges you get. We have an
[2:35:16] earned living unit for those youth that
[2:35:18] are really engaging. They get to wear
[2:35:20] jeans and they get to walk through the
[2:35:22] halls unescorted and they get a lot they
[2:35:25] get more offgrounds privileges and do
[2:35:28] more activities. So yeah, we can't you
[2:35:31] know any of you have had teenagers try
[2:35:33] and force them to do anything but you
[2:35:35] can incentivize and and we do as best as
[2:35:38] we can to incentivize u teenagers.
[2:35:43] And then my last question would be um in
[2:35:46] your experience when do behaviors become
[2:35:48] patterns?
[2:35:53] » In my experience and in speaking with
[2:35:56] many forensic psychologists over my
[2:35:58] career, um what what I believe and I'm
[2:36:02] not a psychologist is that there are
[2:36:05] indicators that a youth is going to be
[2:36:07] what they call life course persistent.
[2:36:10] And some of those are um perhaps the
[2:36:14] most predictive is very early onset of
[2:36:17] violence. I'm talking and I've seen this
[2:36:20] in my prior to coming to doc uh a youth
[2:36:24] who was six years old and choking out
[2:36:28] another girl at the daycare with a ne
[2:36:30] with her necklace. That kind of behavior
[2:36:33] which is not normative and is very early
[2:36:36] onset tends to be a predictor of a youth
[2:36:40] who's probably going to continue to be
[2:36:43] um disruptive into adulthood. Whereas a
[2:36:47] young per and this is why getting a
[2:36:49] history and an accurate history is so
[2:36:50] important to us is you've heard someone
[2:36:53] else say I think it was Mr. fake nail or one of the others. Teenagers do
[2:36:58] stupid things. And sometimes those
[2:37:01] stupid things result in consequences
[2:37:03] they didn't intend that are very bad.
[2:37:05] But when you look at that youth,
[2:37:08] you have a different lens of this is
[2:37:10] probably not going to be a life course
[2:37:12] persistent offender. Uh we need to help
[2:37:15] them deal with what they've done. And
[2:37:19] accountability might be apologizing.
[2:37:21] Restorative justice is a is a form of
[2:37:23] accountability but it's a different
[2:37:26] approach than those uh that we can
[2:37:29] identify again with the assistance of
[2:37:32] psychologists and experts in that area
[2:37:35] of those youth that are going to be
[2:37:37] problems into adulthood.
[2:37:39] >> Thank you
[2:37:42] counselor Noble.
[2:37:45] >> I heard you talk about the wraparound
[2:37:47] services FFT [snorts] and MST. How long
[2:37:51] does it take for those services to be
[2:37:53] put in place for the support of the
[2:37:55] family?
[2:37:59] It depends. So, right now, the state of
[2:38:04] Maine, the Department of Behavioral
[2:38:05] Health Services has a system that has
[2:38:08] just been in place as of February. Some
[2:38:10] of you may have heard about a federal
[2:38:14] um Department of Justice action against
[2:38:16] the state. And as a result of that
[2:38:18] settlement agreement, the Department of
[2:38:22] Health and Human Services uh is required
[2:38:25] to do a what's called a single
[2:38:27] assessment for any youth that needs that
[2:38:29] level of care. They need to first get an
[2:38:32] assessment by Entra.
[2:38:35] Aentra determines whether they're
[2:38:37] eligible for MST, FFT, those kinds of
[2:38:41] services. Uh and if so, then the
[2:38:44] services are paid for by main care. If
[2:38:46] the youth is not covered by main care,
[2:38:49] DOC provides funding that we will pay
[2:38:52] the cost of those services for
[2:38:54] non-covered youth. That's much quicker
[2:38:57] than having to go through that process.
[2:39:01] >> Thank you.
[2:39:02] >> I think on and I have heard again that
[2:39:05] it varies from region to region um on
[2:39:08] availability of those services. I think
[2:39:12] in what I would call the the rim
[2:39:13] counties, Oxford County, uh, Waldo,
[2:39:17] Washington County, some of those
[2:39:18] counties, I think the services are less
[2:39:21] accessible.
[2:39:24] » Council Chitten.
[2:39:26] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, first of all,
[2:39:28] I'd like to say that I wish there were
[2:39:30] not a need for the Department of
[2:39:31] Corrections at all. Uh, I wish that you
[2:39:33] were both out of jobs. I bet you do,
[2:39:35] too. Um, the most important thing I've
[2:39:39] heard you say tonight is this $4.6
[2:39:42] million state community programming that
[2:39:44] applies before the situation. Most of
[2:39:48] what we've heard about from many
[2:39:49] speakers tonight, yourselves included,
[2:39:51] happens after the fact. And the goal
[2:39:54] here is to prevent the activity, the
[2:39:57] gunfire, the violence in the first
[2:39:59] place. So, I'm encouraged to hear about
[2:40:01] this 4.6 million. Um, my question to you
[2:40:06] is, is this a legislative budget that is
[2:40:10] given to you? Is it 4.6 year after year?
[2:40:13] Is there hope for growth of that? I want
[2:40:15] obviously more of that money to come to
[2:40:17] the organizations in Lewon to address
[2:40:20] the problem that we're gathered here
[2:40:22] tonight to address gun violence by youth
[2:40:24] in Lewon.
[2:40:26] That that's my question. Is is there a
[2:40:29] chance of getting more money to come to
[2:40:30] Lewon to sol to address this? Thank you.
[2:40:35] >> Thank you for the question, counselor.
[2:40:37] We absolutely advocate for more than
[2:40:39] this every year. We put into our budget
[2:40:42] what we would like to see. It doesn't
[2:40:44] always make it into the final budget
[2:40:46] that's presented to the legislature and
[2:40:48] then what the legislature decides is
[2:40:50] never as much as an agency asks for. So,
[2:40:53] I would encourage you all to reach out
[2:40:55] to your legislators and tell them how
[2:40:56] important community programs are.
[2:41:00] >> Just to follow up on that, u could you
[2:41:03] offline give me the account number, the
[2:41:05] accounting, the specific asks to go to
[2:41:08] our legislators with uh you have my
[2:41:10] email address. You can get that to me uh
[2:41:13] afterwards.
[2:41:14] >> Absolutely. Thank you,
[2:41:17] >> Councelor Martell.
[2:41:18] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you guys
[2:41:20] for being here tonight. Um so just in uh
[2:41:23] my own personal experience I remember
[2:41:26] growing up and being a teenager uh it
[2:41:29] seemed like there was much more punitive
[2:41:34] uh punishment accountability for crimes
[2:41:38] and poor behaviors. It seems at some
[2:41:41] point there was a shift made to I've
[2:41:43] hear you use terms like uh restorative
[2:41:45] justice and uh this indicate the the
[2:41:50] moving towards trying to keep juveniles
[2:41:53] at all costs for any reason out of uh
[2:41:56] Long Creek or being detained.
[2:41:58] uh how when when did that transition or
[2:42:01] when did this movement towards this type
[2:42:03] of
[2:42:05] um I don't know adjudication or or
[2:42:08] dealing with juvenile crime
[2:42:11] when did that shift happen and how long
[2:42:14] have we been uh trying to to operate
[2:42:18] under that plan or that path or that
[2:42:20] strategy?
[2:42:25] I'm going to try to answer this as best
[2:42:28] I can. I think some of you that were
[2:42:31] around in the early 90s remember the
[2:42:33] super predator scare and that there was
[2:42:36] a
[2:42:38] actually a researcher who said that
[2:42:40] youth in that period of time were
[2:42:43] without a conscience, without a soul.
[2:42:45] They were um just awful and we were
[2:42:48] going to have a blood bath in 10 or 15
[2:42:51] years when those youth grew up.
[2:42:53] And even though that's what the data
[2:42:55] said, that's not what happened. And what
[2:42:57] we've actually seen is a a sharp and
[2:43:00] consistent decline in juvenile crime in
[2:43:04] the community.
[2:43:05] In my experience, um punishment and
[2:43:10] accountability are terms that often
[2:43:13] people ascribe their own meaning to.
[2:43:16] Accountability doesn't mean it's easy.
[2:43:19] It doesn't mean nothing happens. Um, in
[2:43:22] my experience, if you have a youth who
[2:43:25] has harmed their neighbor and you say to
[2:43:29] that and the judge says to that youth,
[2:43:31] you're going to do four days at Long
[2:43:34] Creek Youth Development Center or you're
[2:43:37] going to sit down with that neighbor and
[2:43:39] apologize to them and you're going to do
[2:43:41] something to repair the harm that you've
[2:43:44] done. I can't think of a single juvenile
[2:43:46] that will pick the restorative justice.
[2:43:49] they will pick the easy way out. So I
[2:43:52] think if you think about accountability
[2:43:55] in terms of helping the youth grow from
[2:43:59] their mistake, that doesn't mean it's
[2:44:01] easy. It doesn't mean the kids like it,
[2:44:04] but it means we are giving them tools to
[2:44:07] grow from that mistake, not simply
[2:44:11] imposing a discomfort that doesn't get
[2:44:15] us where we want to be, which is a
[2:44:17] reduction in that behavior. So, in my
[2:44:20] experience, accountability is often
[2:44:23] times more painful for youth if it's
[2:44:26] restorative, if it's um talking about
[2:44:30] behaviors. Show me a teenager that wants
[2:44:33] to sit down and talk about their sexual
[2:44:35] behaviors
[2:44:37] as a condition of probation for a an
[2:44:40] offense they might have occurred. They
[2:44:42] will take a month, a year at Long Creek
[2:44:45] rather than do that treatment. But
[2:44:48] that's accountability is you harm
[2:44:50] someone by this behavior. Here's what
[2:44:53] we're going to do to make sure that
[2:44:54] doesn't happen again or at least reduce
[2:44:56] the likelihood of it. So,
[2:45:00] >> thank you for that. My question though
[2:45:01] was when did the shift in approach start
[2:45:04] and roughly how long has that been?
[2:45:07] So, I' I've been in juvenile justice for
[2:45:10] 30ish years, and I would say that it has
[2:45:13] been a good 20 years since we learned
[2:45:17] more about adolescent development, more
[2:45:19] about, as Mr. Bnell said, about brain
[2:45:22] development. And um so I would say that
[2:45:26] the switch switch from a punitive model
[2:45:29] to a more holistic model was probably
[2:45:35] 20 to 25 years ago.
[2:45:37] >> And you're suggesting that there's been
[2:45:39] a stark drop in juvenile crime since
[2:45:42] that's been the approach.
[2:45:44] >> I'm not suggesting it. The data clearly
[2:45:47] shows it.
[2:45:48] >> Okay. Um, it just feels like the the
[2:45:50] situation that we're dealing with, at
[2:45:51] least here locally, doesn't seem to
[2:45:53] reflect that. And that's kind of the the
[2:45:56] square I'm trying to circle. That's all.
[2:45:57] I'm not questioning uh your data or what
[2:46:00] you're saying. I'm just trying to make
[2:46:02] sense of it. Uh, it seems like we've got
[2:46:03] a juvenile shooting once a week, if not
[2:46:05] more often in Lewon. And uh, Councelor
[2:46:08] Tridum stated or at least pointed out
[2:46:10] that this seems to be more uh more
[2:46:13] serious in Lewon rather than other
[2:46:15] cities. So, uh, maybe there's other
[2:46:17] reasons for that, but, um, when I'm
[2:46:20] reading the news each day, it doesn't
[2:46:22] particularly feel like, uh, we're seeing
[2:46:24] less juvenile violent crime.
[2:46:27] >> Um, that's all. Thank you.
[2:46:29] >> I I I I will say the data does support
[2:46:32] your your, um, assertion that there is
[2:46:35] more gun violence and it is certainly
[2:46:38] not unique to Lewon, but it is more
[2:46:41] common in Lewon. And I won't even
[2:46:45] venture a guess um as to why Lewon as
[2:46:49] opposed to other communities, but I do
[2:46:51] think one thing that has changed
[2:46:53] tremendously in my time in the system is
[2:46:57] that the availability of weapons, and
[2:47:00] you've heard that from others as well. I
[2:47:02] think guns were less available to youth
[2:47:06] 25 years ago than they are today.
[2:47:11] Thank you uh both for being here. Uh you
[2:47:14] me, if I heard you right, there's uh
[2:47:16] approximately 50 uh youth at Long Creek
[2:47:19] at this moment.
[2:47:21] >> 49. Yes.
[2:47:22] >> Yeah. Okay. 49. And then the breakdown
[2:47:25] by county, does that is that
[2:47:27] proportional by population or is one
[2:47:29] county have u proportionally more? Uh
[2:47:33] are you able to share that?
[2:47:36] >> I do keep that data, but I don't have it
[2:47:38] at the top of my head. I will say that
[2:47:40] there are uh fewer detentions when you
[2:47:43] get into region three, which is
[2:47:45] essentially the top seven counties. And
[2:47:49] I suspect that's because law
[2:47:50] enforcement, unlike having county jails
[2:47:53] where law enforcement can bring someone
[2:47:55] they've arrested to the county jail, if
[2:47:57] a youth is arrested in Caribou, they've
[2:47:59] got to be brought to South Portland.
[2:48:02] that I think is a natural deterrent for
[2:48:04] law enforcement to call and request that
[2:48:07] a youth be detained unless they really need to be detained. Um so it is
[2:48:12] less the the data it's not proportionate
[2:48:16] per county by any means. Um, but I will
[2:48:19] say that
[2:48:21] Gusta South or you know is probably the
[2:48:24] bigger twothirds of the at least 2/3 if
[2:48:28] not 75% of the population.
[2:48:32] >> Understood. Thank you. Uh, further qu
[2:48:34] Yes Yes. Councelor Longs, did you have
[2:48:35] something?
[2:48:36] >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, I would just like
[2:48:39] to thank you ladies again for coming
[2:48:40] here and uh contacting us to be a part
[2:48:43] of this meeting. Um, it's not definitely
[2:48:47] not an easy meeting. Um, I believe in
[2:48:50] Long Creek. I I think you need to uh
[2:48:53] continue doing what you're doing and and
[2:48:54] thank you.
[2:48:57] >> Further questions from council.
[2:49:00] Thank you both for being here.
[2:49:04] >> Yes. Uh, a huge round of applause for
[2:49:06] all of our presenters, please.
[2:49:14] We will now uh take um uh comments from counselors. Uh counselors uh I am
[2:49:21] not timing you, but if you could keep it
[2:49:23] to to three minutes, that'd be that'd be
[2:49:25] great for general remarks. We're going
[2:49:27] to start with uh the councelor forward
[2:49:29] one, Josh Nene. Councelor Nene.
[2:49:32] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, first and
[2:49:34] foremost,
[2:49:36] I want to thank everybody for coming uh
[2:49:38] tonight. Uh I'd like to also say that
[2:49:41] the availability of guns in our
[2:49:44] community that youth have is a major
[2:49:46] problem. That that is that is uh one
[2:49:50] tier uh of the issue. Um if kids don't
[2:49:55] have guns, which they shouldn't have
[2:49:56] guns, ever have guns, then they can't
[2:50:00] commit crimes with guns. So uh we need
[2:50:03] to figure out an angle there. I would
[2:50:06] also say that there are huge gaps in uh
[2:50:12] supports for at risk children before
[2:50:14] they become uh children who are shooting at children
[2:50:21] and and unfortunately these are kids.
[2:50:22] They're 100% kids but they're committing
[2:50:25] adult crimes and and and that's very
[2:50:28] challenging for this community. Um
[2:50:31] people don't feel safe. Um kids don't
[2:50:33] feel safe. Um, we've got a problem
[2:50:36] there, a huge problem, and we don't have
[2:50:38] the
[2:50:40] resources financially to fix this. So,
[2:50:43] we do need to work together to ask for
[2:50:46] more financial resources to deal with
[2:50:48] some of these things. And there and
[2:50:49] there are systemic issues with all of
[2:50:52] these pieces. when you're not compelled
[2:50:55] uh to improve uh
[2:50:59] the life of a child um because they
[2:51:01] haven't committed a crime big enough. Um
[2:51:06] we're we're literally letting those
[2:51:07] children
[2:51:09] just continue a path that that leads to
[2:51:14] uh
[2:51:16] danger for themselves and others and and
[2:51:19] it's just not correct. Um, but I
[2:51:22] appreciate everybody coming forward
[2:51:23] today uh to present. Um, I I still have
[2:51:26] a lot of questions about how we make
[2:51:28] sure that we both both keep kids and our
[2:51:31] communities safe um because there are
[2:51:34] glaring gaps in that system.
[2:51:36] >> Thank you,
[2:51:38] >> Kyle. A long trip.
[2:51:39] >> Kyle, is it is the public going to get a
[2:51:42] chance to speak tonight or
[2:51:43] >> uh Yes. Yes. We're we're moving quickly
[2:51:45] towards that. If you can take your take
[2:51:47] your
[2:51:48] >> seat. Could you also um give us a break?
[2:51:51] Uh maybe a five minute break. I think
[2:51:53] the crowd could use it. You lost.
[2:51:55] >> You could take a break right now, sir.
[2:51:57] And we will get back to public comment.
[2:51:58] Uh we we will get to public comment in a
[2:52:00] little bit. Thank you.
[2:52:03] >> Please take a seat. Thank you.
[2:52:05] >> Uh councelor Long Champs.
[2:52:07] >> Thank you, uh Mr. Mayor. Um
[2:52:11] we've heard a lot tonight. Um,
[2:52:16] but I'm not sure that we've heard of
[2:52:18] anything that will really immediately um
[2:52:21] help us with the current situation.
[2:52:24] Um,
[2:52:27] we're experiencing gun violence almost
[2:52:29] daily. Um, it once, you know, was really
[2:52:35] uh more so happening at night. Now it's
[2:52:38] happening in the broad daylight. Uh you
[2:52:40] heard our chief say that we are 11
[2:52:42] officers down.
[2:52:45] Everyone is underst staffed
[2:52:48] in my opinion. And no one's going to
[2:52:51] like to hear this or not no no one but
[2:52:53] there will be some fan uh some people
[2:52:55] that are not fans of this but I believe
[2:52:58] this is a call for our national guard to
[2:53:01] come and help us.
[2:53:04] Um,
[2:53:06] I would I'm hoping that Governor Mills
[2:53:09] will sit with our law enforcement, our
[2:53:11] DA's office
[2:53:14] uh to really come up with a plan.
[2:53:17] We need a deterrent out there and our
[2:53:19] officers need to focus on violent
[2:53:22] crimes.
[2:53:26] This to me really calls for uh state
[2:53:30] help. Again,
[2:53:34] there's really no real target when these
[2:53:36] young folks are shooting.
[2:53:38] They're shooting at cars, apartment
[2:53:42] buildings. There are families living in
[2:53:45] the downtown
[2:53:47] that don't have
[2:53:49] they they don't have the financials to
[2:53:51] move like some of us that are sitting in
[2:53:53] this room. They are stuck there. A lot
[2:53:56] of people are poor. There are families
[2:53:58] that are staying in the back of their
[2:54:00] apartments to protect their families
[2:54:03] from a stray bullet. That's
[2:54:05] unacceptable.
[2:54:08] We have to do something. And the
[2:54:10] National Guard could come and help.
[2:54:14] Walk around our streets and let our
[2:54:17] police work on other crimes. We are 11
[2:54:21] officers down. We need to do something
[2:54:24] to help protect the citizens here.
[2:54:27] So, I am hoping
[2:54:30] that um
[2:54:35] Governor Mills
[2:54:38] would take um what what I'm asking into
[2:54:41] serious uh consideration
[2:54:44] and and help us here in Lewon. That's
[2:54:47] all I have for now. Thank you,
[2:54:49] Councelor Harmon.
[2:54:58] I just want to thank everyone who came
[2:55:00] out tonight both to present and answer
[2:55:03] questions and those in the audience. Um,
[2:55:05] I definitely learned a lot about this
[2:55:07] topic and I look forward to continuing
[2:55:10] to work on solutions.
[2:55:14] Uh, Councelor Roy,
[2:55:18] » just want to thank everybody that came
[2:55:19] out to uh offer up some great um um
[2:55:24] insight into some backgrounds. Um,
[2:55:30] I would really like to hear what
[2:55:32] everybody else has to say right now
[2:55:34] because I think together we can gain
[2:55:38] some ideas. I know I've got some ideas,
[2:55:40] too. work on some community, you know,
[2:55:42] resources and programs and incentives.
[2:55:44] And um I'd like to hear what everybody
[2:55:46] else says. So, I'm going to pass that.
[2:55:50] >> Councelor Noble.
[2:55:56] Uh councelor Chidum.
[2:55:58] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um there's been a
[2:56:01] lot of discussion tonight. I hope that
[2:56:04] the folks in the audience have learned
[2:56:05] as much as I have about some of the
[2:56:07] intractical problems that we're we're
[2:56:09] facing. I think the most concrete
[2:56:13] suggestion that I heard tonight, and I
[2:56:15] would urge everyone in this room to take
[2:56:17] it home and spread it, is to lock up
[2:56:20] your guns. Do not leave your guns on the
[2:56:22] front seat of your pickup truck so that
[2:56:25] a 12year-old can be told by an
[2:56:27] 11year-old there's easy pickings. That's
[2:56:30] your fault if your gun is stolen. And
[2:56:32] I'd like to see some consequences for
[2:56:34] people who have guns stolen from
[2:56:36] unlocked vehicles or people who have
[2:56:38] their guns in their vehicles. Anyway,
[2:56:40] that's the most concrete uh item that I
[2:56:43] picked up from tonight and I hope all of
[2:56:45] you have learned something. Thank you,
[2:56:49] >> Councelor Martell.
[2:56:50] >> Thank you. Um I want to speak on guns,
[2:56:52] too. Uh here's the thing. Every juvenile
[2:56:56] that's going around in our community
[2:56:57] carrying a gun or shooting a gun is
[2:56:59] already breaking a law. Any adult that
[2:57:02] has put the gun a gun in the hands of a
[2:57:05] juvenile broke a law doing so. Uh more
[2:57:08] gun laws only serve to disarm
[2:57:11] law-abiding citizens from protecting
[2:57:13] themselves. The people that are running
[2:57:15] around breaking these laws right now are
[2:57:18] comfortable breaking the laws that are
[2:57:19] in place. I have I see no indication
[2:57:22] that new or furthering laws are going to
[2:57:24] change that. The only uh people that
[2:57:27] laws new laws affect are law-abiding
[2:57:29] citizens. And I think it's clear that
[2:57:31] the people committing these crimes
[2:57:33] aren't by definition law- abiding
[2:57:35] citizens.
[2:57:36] Um,
[2:57:39] everyone wants to say a lot of times I
[2:57:41] hear uh it's not political. You know,
[2:57:43] kids shooting kids shouldn't be
[2:57:45] political. This shouldn't be political.
[2:57:47] This is a political issue. The problem
[2:57:49] that we have um
[2:57:54] this problem didn't happen overnight and
[2:57:56] it isn't going to be solved overnight.
[2:57:58] And there's a certain ideological
[2:58:01] political slant that I believe has
[2:58:04] fostered the environment that created
[2:58:06] this situation and allowed it to worsen.
[2:58:09] So uh two things the almost universally
[2:58:14] our speakers tonight said legislature
[2:58:17] Augusta laws representatives coming from
[2:58:20] the state. So um as far as the public
[2:58:24] goes uh two suggestions. Uh there's
[2:58:27] probably two things that the normal JQ
[2:58:29] public can do. That's uh see something,
[2:58:32] say something, and then get out and vote
[2:58:34] in November for candidates to go to
[2:58:36] Augusta to represent us that are going
[2:58:38] to take public I'm not campaigning. Uh
[2:58:41] go out and vote for people that are
[2:58:42] going to take public safety seriously.
[2:58:44] That's what you can do as a public.
[2:58:52] » I appreciate everyone coming tonight.
[2:58:54] Thank you for uh the presenters and
[2:58:57] making time this evening. Thank you for
[2:58:59] you all making time this evening to come
[2:59:00] here and thank you for uh I don't know
[2:59:02] how many people aren't watching online
[2:59:04] but thank you very much. Uh public
[2:59:06] safety is a shared responsibility and
[2:59:07] these conversations are important.
[2:59:09] There's many conversations happening um
[2:59:12] at this time and uh and I am encouraged
[2:59:15] by it and I hope more people get
[2:59:16] involved. Um, thank you all and I want
[2:59:18] to thank the counselors uh as well and
[2:59:21] uh a huge shout out uh to staff for uh
[2:59:24] making it possible to meet here both
[2:59:25] city staff and school staff.
[2:59:33] Uh so a couple of things uh uh for
[2:59:36] public comment here. So first off, if
[2:59:38] they're uh some of the presenters, if
[2:59:40] they're still here uh afterwards, you
[2:59:42] can feel free to come up to them and ask
[2:59:43] questions uh after uh public comment.
[2:59:47] And then uh Jake are uh sorry um
[2:59:50] Superintendent Langless uh are those uh
[2:59:53] note cards?
[2:59:55] Yes. So we have uh if you have questions
[2:59:58] uh for the presenters uh we are going to
[3:00:01] compile questions and then you know kind
[3:00:03] of publish a an FAQ later. So uh next to
[3:00:06] Superintendent Langless are not cards
[3:00:08] with pens. So feel free to come and uh
[3:00:10] fill out one. And so yes, we're starting
[3:00:13] public comment in uh just a few seconds.
[3:00:16] So, I want to remind people that this is
[3:00:18] a city council meeting. There will be no
[3:00:20] campaigning. Uh no profanity. Uh this is
[3:00:23] a special uh meeting. So, we need to be
[3:00:25] on topic about youth gun violence. Uh I
[3:00:28] urge all of us to be respectful and
[3:00:29] courteous and uh set a good example for
[3:00:32] our youth. Uh please continue, sir.
[3:00:37] >> Uh guess I have to push the button
[3:00:39] again.
[3:00:39] >> Yeah.
[3:00:40] >> Uh Charles Arthur soul 70 Horn Street.
[3:00:44] um [clears throat] 12 officers down,
[3:00:48] one is on medical leave, but yet they're
[3:00:51] using a drone. They bought the drone,
[3:00:55] and the insurance on that drone will be
[3:00:57] 85,000 a year. Wow. I think that would
[3:01:02] get us a couple of officers, maybe one
[3:01:04] or two. Um, another thing is that the
[3:01:06] cameras um I was out two nights ago and
[3:01:10] um because I I'm 73 by the way took a
[3:01:14] nap and I was out a nice night full moon
[3:01:16] and I'm on the corner of um of Horton
[3:01:20] and um Ash and um a ruckus breaks out.
[3:01:25] Eight people fighting in the street
[3:01:28] under a camera, city camera. So, I
[3:01:32] flicked my vehicle lights hoping to get
[3:01:35] the attention of who's ever watching the
[3:01:38] camera. But then after 20 minutes and
[3:01:40] the girl getting her head beat up on the
[3:01:42] asphalt, I um I had to go
[3:01:45] [clears throat]
[3:01:45] get a make a phone call. And then they
[3:01:49] showed up. How nice. Maybe I'll Nobody's
[3:01:53] watching the cameras. Maybe it's because
[3:01:55] of the laxity of no policing. But you
[3:01:58] can spend on a drone,
[3:02:01] you know. Um, another thing is that um,
[3:02:04] no money. This the superintendent of
[3:02:06] school going on almost three years ago
[3:02:08] bought a million-doll building at the
[3:02:11] corner of um, of Sabadis and Main Street
[3:02:15] and um because the roof blew off and um,
[3:02:20] CMMC I guess was was selling it for a
[3:02:23] million dollars. Now the city's uh um
[3:02:26] now and it was used for radiation
[3:02:29] treatment. So now the city's got to do
[3:02:32] the clean up on it and um and then prior
[3:02:36] to that because I'm 73, there used to be
[3:02:38] a a retreading plant for tires in there.
[3:02:41] So
[3:02:42] >> can you please get back on topic?
[3:02:44] >> Excuse me. That's not
[3:02:46] >> Please stay on topic.
[3:02:47] >> That is on I am on topic. That is a
[3:02:49] million dollars that could have went
[3:02:51] into policing.
[3:02:54] The school budget's a disgrace.
[3:02:56] Now, about people, civilry, not seeing
[3:03:00] too many police officers um out on the
[3:03:03] streets when people are passing on the
[3:03:05] left and the right, speeding up the
[3:03:08] street, hear it all night, squealing out
[3:03:10] around corners. Uh the society, I look
[3:03:14] at it, is almost useless in Lewon. Now,
[3:03:18] the only bright star I saw tonight was
[3:03:21] uh uh council from W 2, uh Miss Long
[3:03:26] Champamp. She start when she first came
[3:03:29] into the neighborhood uh in the city,
[3:03:32] she um had children who well, let's face
[3:03:36] it, um they were
[3:03:38] >> That's time. Thank you.
[3:03:40] >> Don't stop your
[3:03:42] >> That is time. You are done. Thank you.
[3:03:45] We're We're going to the next person.
[3:03:47] >> Good. Now, I would
[3:03:49] >> We are going to the next person.
[3:03:51] >> I would also ban Facebook if you would.
[3:03:58] » Yeah. Let's
[3:04:05] » further public comment. Thank you.
[3:04:07] >> Hello, my name is Jess. I live in Lewon.
[3:04:10] Um, I'm feeling very frustrated because
[3:04:14] I've heard the kids, the kids, the kids
[3:04:18] probably about like 50 times tonight.
[3:04:21] But where are the parents?
[3:04:23] I don't see any of the parents here of
[3:04:25] these kids. I don't see any of us going
[3:04:28] into these neighborhoods walking around
[3:04:31] and trying to invite some of these
[3:04:33] people in so that way we can kind of ask
[3:04:36] them what's up. you know, why can't we
[3:04:39] start a little committee to go into
[3:04:40] Kennedy Park? You know, have like trust
[3:04:44] activities. We play kickball, you know,
[3:04:48] uh frisbee, disc frisbee, you know, you
[3:04:51] get an extra five points if you get it
[3:04:53] in off a tree. Then these kids, you
[3:04:55] know, then that doesn't cost anything.
[3:04:58] we can get played against sports or some
[3:05:00] of these other people to donate
[3:05:02] kickballs, basketballs.
[3:05:05] If there's someone in here who knows how
[3:05:06] to skateboard, we'll bring these kids
[3:05:09] over to the skate park and teach them
[3:05:10] how to skate. But we need to get the
[3:05:13] parents more involved. And we need to
[3:05:17] hold them accountable.
[3:05:19] Personally, my whole entire life, I've
[3:05:22] had to be held accountable for more than
[3:05:24] I should have had to be accountable for.
[3:05:27] I'm a new beginnings kid.
[3:05:30] Look at me. You know, I'm doing okay.
[3:05:33] I'm not out shooting people up when I'm
[3:05:35] 16. But, you know, as a community, we
[3:05:39] all need together. Come together and and
[3:05:44] come to a board and just kind of bounce
[3:05:47] some ideas. You know, it's not going to
[3:05:49] hurt. What's the one thing that connects
[3:05:51] all of us? Music.
[3:05:54] I personally would like to go out into
[3:05:56] the park and play music and bring these
[3:05:59] kids in and teach them a skill. You
[3:06:02] know, youth build programs need to be
[3:06:04] brought back. You know, where they're in
[3:06:06] the classroom one week and on a job site
[3:06:09] another week and then they get paid a
[3:06:11] little stipen. So, this is like a little
[3:06:13] bit of cash in their pocket. But, you
[3:06:15] know what? They're being taught a skill
[3:06:18] and they're being taught education.
[3:06:21] And I don't know where the pending went
[3:06:23] for that, but I mean, we need to bring
[3:06:26] it back and we need to get the parents
[3:06:28] more involved because tonight I've only
[3:06:30] heard the word parents maybe used five
[3:06:34] or six times. So, you know, it really, really has to do with the
[3:06:40] parents cuz they need to step up. They
[3:06:42] need to be here for their kids. You
[3:06:44] know, these kids are not coming from a
[3:06:46] good background. They don't have any
[3:06:48] role models. Like, what are they going
[3:06:50] to do? So, they don't know how to do any
[3:06:51] of this that we were talking about. They
[3:06:53] need their parents. They need a role
[3:06:55] model. They need a big sister, like a
[3:06:58] big brother club, you know, like there's
[3:07:01] so many solutions that we can do where
[3:07:04] it's not going to cost any money.
[3:07:07] So, that's all I have to say. Thank you
[3:07:09] very much for everybody coming.
[3:07:12] >> Thank you. That's time.
[3:07:13] >> Have a good night.
[3:07:18] Hey guys, Janet Bowden, Ward 2. Uh, we
[3:07:21] finally got an emergency meeting
[3:07:22] tonight. I'm not going to hold back my
[3:07:24] feelings. Um, I don't think this is
[3:07:26] because Carl woke up and decided to lead
[3:07:29] because residents um this is actually
[3:07:31] because a residents and a counselor
[3:07:33] pushed hard enough that he had no
[3:07:34] choice. A month ago, we had a community
[3:07:37] meeting and Carl didn't show. He
[3:07:39] actually said he never planned on
[3:07:40] attending because there was a Republican
[3:07:43] gubanatorial candidate and a
[3:07:44] conservative news outlet that organized
[3:07:46] the event when he wouldn't step up. So,
[3:07:49] he picked politics over people. And
[3:07:51] since then, downtown hasn't gotten any
[3:07:53] safer. It's gotten worse.
[3:07:56] The month of June alone has resulted in
[3:07:58] 11 incidents involving juveniles with
[3:08:00] guns.
[3:08:01] We can all see that this isn't just bad
[3:08:03] luck or a handful of incidents. We've
[3:08:05] got a youth justice system that is
[3:08:07] broken.
[3:08:09] Juveniles get released, they end up back
[3:08:11] on the streets, and we have to
[3:08:13] experience the next gun-related
[3:08:14] incident. Restorative justice alone is
[3:08:17] not working. We need higher
[3:08:19] accountability for juveniles caught with
[3:08:20] firearms. We need to stop pretending
[3:08:22] this cycle is going to fix itself. Carl
[3:08:25] refuses to own the problem, refuses to
[3:08:27] engage in the community when we ask him
[3:08:30] to, and then acts like this meeting is
[3:08:31] the solution. It's not. I have
[3:08:34] personally reached out to you through
[3:08:36] text, through Facebook Messenger,
[3:08:38] through um social media asking you for
[3:08:42] what your plan is. What are you doing?
[3:08:44] How are you helping the community in in
[3:08:47] this tragedy? And you have completely
[3:08:50] ignored me.
[3:08:52] So, let's talk about solutions.
[3:08:55] start in Augusta. City Hall
[3:08:58] can respond after the fact, but the laws
[3:09:01] that shape youth accountability and
[3:09:03] public safety come from the state. If we
[3:09:06] keep sending the same people from the
[3:09:08] same political party back to Augusta
[3:09:11] with the same power, absolutely nothing
[3:09:14] is going to change
[3:09:16] this fall. Just vote for different
[3:09:18] representatives.
[3:09:20] real change in leadership, real
[3:09:22] accountability because Lewon can't
[3:09:24] afford another term of wait and see and
[3:09:26] let's look the other way. Thank you.
[3:09:33] » Further public comment.
[3:09:36] [clears throat]
[3:09:37] >> Before I start, I just want to say Carl,
[3:09:39] I don't think a lot of people realize
[3:09:40] that this was an official city council
[3:09:42] meeting and that's why there was
[3:09:44] applause for the presenters. People were
[3:09:46] trying to show appreciation and respect.
[3:09:48] Um, I think maybe you could have made an
[3:09:51] announcement at the beginning that even
[3:09:53] though we're not in city council
[3:09:54] chambers, the same expectations apply.
[3:09:57] Um, but I don't think people were
[3:09:58] intentionally breaking your rules.
[3:10:01] Uh, uh, that wasn't supposed to be part
[3:10:04] of my time. That was just feedback to
[3:10:05] Carl. This has been a long and
[3:10:07] exasperating evening, especially since,
[3:10:09] like Janet said, a bunch of us did this
[3:10:11] already. You just refused to attend. You
[3:10:13] lied about what it was. your your lie is
[3:10:15] in writing that it was some sort of
[3:10:18] candidate event and it wasn't. Um,
[3:10:22] so yeah, we we listened to a lot of that
[3:10:24] and in the beginning it was great and
[3:10:25] then we listened to a lot of people
[3:10:27] patting themselves on the back for not
[3:10:29] solving this problem. I'm absolutely
[3:10:31] mind-b blown that a teenager can shoot
[3:10:33] up an apartment building, go to Long
[3:10:34] Creek and nobody says shooting that
[3:10:36] apartment building was wrong. Nobody
[3:10:39] addresses that with them. What? No
[3:10:41] wonder they get out and do it again.
[3:10:43] This is insane.
[3:10:46] This meeting was supposed to be about
[3:10:48] solving this issue, but it has
[3:10:49] absolutely devolved into turning the
[3:10:50] shooters into the victims. Oh, these
[3:10:52] poor kids. We need to give these poor
[3:10:54] kids more activities. You know what?
[3:10:56] That man over there that you tell to go
[3:10:58] away that you won't let speak. Spends
[3:11:00] time in Kennedy Park. Zero of you have
[3:11:02] been down in Kennedy Park talking to the
[3:11:04] kids. He has. He was shooting basketball
[3:11:06] with kids. He was inviting the community
[3:11:08] to this meeting. He was asking people
[3:11:09] for solutions.
[3:11:12] He spoke to a man who wants to do
[3:11:13] exactly what Mike Roy suggested and
[3:11:15] wants to organize teams of kids to play
[3:11:17] sports. Why can't you connect with your
[3:11:21] community?
[3:11:25] Why does it take a man from Scar Bro
[3:11:27] that you want to lie and say is just a
[3:11:28] blogger to connect with the youth in
[3:11:30] your community about shootings?
[3:11:35] We heard from Chris Bicknell that more
[3:11:37] money would solve this problem. And then
[3:11:39] we heard that he's getting lots of
[3:11:41] money. And just so everyone in this room
[3:11:42] knows, he also got mass shooting money.
[3:11:45] Zero of the nonprofits that got mass
[3:11:47] shooting money did anything to address
[3:11:48] this problem. Eman Osman's nonprofit got
[3:11:51] mass shooting money. Eman Osman left a
[3:11:53] gun in his car unlocked. Eman Osman was
[3:11:55] not charged with criminal negligence.
[3:11:57] Eman Osman was not held accountable by
[3:11:59] the school committee. Eman Osman was
[3:12:02] then put on the ballot illegally and put
[3:12:03] on this city council. You guys are
[3:12:06] intentionally destroying Lewiston and we
[3:12:08] see it. Scott is the only one on that
[3:12:10] council that has power to change it and
[3:12:12] I think he has zero intention.
[3:12:14] I think that because he ignored my email
[3:12:16] when I when I sent him a screenshot of
[3:12:18] his email to a constituent from last
[3:12:20] September where he said he was
[3:12:21] diligently working on this issue and I
[3:12:23] said really how what are you diligently
[3:12:25] doing please? He is my representative in
[3:12:27] Augusta.
[3:12:29] He will not speak to me. He does not
[3:12:32] deserve that seat. I would like people
[3:12:34] to know that there are candidates on the
[3:12:37] ballot that are in this room. Please
[3:12:39] vote for them and not
[3:12:42] come. That's time to stop. I'm just
[3:12:44] going to repeat it till they hear me. So
[3:12:46] just be safe.
[3:12:47] >> Thank you.
[3:12:49] >> Vote for the people that time. There's
[3:12:51] no campaigning. Thank you.
[3:12:58] » Further public comment. Thank you.
[3:13:05] Good evening. My name is Destiny. I'm
[3:13:07] from Windham. I'm not from Lucen. I'm a
[3:13:10] Lucen shooting survivor.
[3:13:13] Like many people in this community, the
[3:13:15] Lucing shooting on October 25th, 2023
[3:13:18] changed my life forever. 18 innocent
[3:13:21] people lost their lives. Many others
[3:13:23] were injured and survivors and families
[3:13:26] continue to carry the trauma every day.
[3:13:29] After everything this community endured,
[3:13:31] many residents expected our leaders to
[3:13:34] focus first and foremost on public
[3:13:36] safety and accountability. Instead, we
[3:13:39] have watched Mayor Carl Shelene devote
[3:13:41] significant time and energy to opposing
[3:13:44] federal federal immigration enforcement
[3:13:47] efforts and supporting policies that
[3:13:49] many residents believe make cooperation
[3:13:52] with federal authorities more difficult.
[3:13:55] The lessons from the Lewis shooting
[3:13:56] should have pushed all of us to focus
[3:13:59] relentlessly on public safety,
[3:14:01] communication between agencies, and
[3:14:03] preventing other tragedies from
[3:14:05] happening again. Many residents feel the
[3:14:08] city leadership has focused more
[3:14:10] attention on political issues than on
[3:14:12] the concerns of the people who live here
[3:14:14] every day. This should not be about
[3:14:17] politics or political parties. It's
[3:14:19] about priorities.
[3:14:22] Mayor, what are you waiting for? Another
[3:14:24] tragedy like the one caused by Robert
[3:14:27] Card on October 25th?
[3:14:32] Questions still remain about your role
[3:14:33] as a board member of the main mill and
[3:14:36] whether the relationship created a
[3:14:37] conflict of interest after $65,521.79
[3:14:42] was directed to the nonprofit.
[3:14:46] Lon deserves leadership that puts
[3:14:49] [sighs] the safety
[3:14:52] in residents first, listens to survivors
[3:14:56] and families, and focuses on rebuilding
[3:14:58] trust in a community. We owe that to the
[3:15:01] 18 people who never came out, who never
[3:15:04] came home and to every survivor whose
[3:15:07] life changed forever on October 25th,
[3:15:09] 2023. Thank you.
[3:15:15] Further public comment.
[3:15:19] >> Hi, my name is Die Pum Whittier and I'm
[3:15:21] a Louison Ward 2 resident and I'm here
[3:15:24] tonight because I love Louisston young
[3:15:26] people and I want to thank everybody
[3:15:28] that came out tonight and I feel that
[3:15:30] Lon should be really proud of itself
[3:15:32] that there are officials and
[3:15:34] professionals from the state and local
[3:15:37] uh community who want to do something to
[3:15:39] help young people. Uh, I've been uh a
[3:15:42] longtime youth advocate and I've been
[3:15:44] reading a lot lately about juvenile gun
[3:15:46] violence and I found an approach and
[3:15:49] maybe LPD is aware of this. It's called
[3:15:52] violence interruption and it uh reduces
[3:15:55] juvenile gun violence by meaningfully
[3:15:58] engaging with a small number of
[3:16:00] individuals at the center of gun
[3:16:02] violence. And that caught my attention
[3:16:04] because we've repeatedly heard that the
[3:16:07] youth that are involved in gun violence
[3:16:09] tend to be a small group. So, we know
[3:16:12] who they are. And I'm not an expert on
[3:16:14] this subject by any means, and I don't
[3:16:17] mean to use this as any excuse, but
[3:16:20] anger, fighting, and violence within our
[3:16:23] youth often come from a place of trauma,
[3:16:26] pain, no hope, frustration, fear, and no
[3:16:30] support systems. I believe their actions
[3:16:34] deserve consequences and accountability,
[3:16:38] but I also believe that we need to
[3:16:40] remember that these young people are in
[3:16:43] trouble and they're living a downward
[3:16:46] spiral.
[3:16:48] I would propose along with that violence
[3:16:51] interruption approach to seek guidance
[3:16:54] and do some brainstorming from school
[3:16:56] counselors, mental health professionals,
[3:16:59] some of the officers involved in
[3:17:00] community policing and see if we can put
[3:17:03] together some sort of street outreach
[3:17:06] that can meet these kids where they are,
[3:17:09] some type of mentorship connection. I've
[3:17:12] mentioned a young per mentored a young
[3:17:13] person for 26 years. I started when she
[3:17:15] was nine and it's very rewarding and I
[3:17:18] know that there are people in this room
[3:17:20] that love our youth and would be willing
[3:17:23] to you know go along with certain
[3:17:25] guidelines and guidance to reach out and
[3:17:28] really meet these kids where they are. I
[3:17:30] really strongly feel that if um they see
[3:17:34] that we believe in their potential some
[3:17:37] of them might consider something other
[3:17:39] than violence and become role models for
[3:17:42] those around them. And certainly we all
[3:17:44] need someone who believes in us. Thank
[3:17:47] you.
[3:17:53] My name is Amy Ranger and I am um in
[3:17:56] Ward 7 and I teach at Lewon High School.
[3:17:59] And a lot of people have mentioned
[3:18:02] tonight where the parents and I'm coming
[3:18:04] from the perspective of having had a
[3:18:06] student who was involved in one of these
[3:18:08] acts of violence.
[3:18:10] uh knowing him personally the some the
[3:18:14] people I'm thinking of he doesn't have
[3:18:16] parents
[3:18:17] um
[3:18:20] so the conversation about holding
[3:18:22] parents accountable I'm thinking about
[3:18:24] this kid who I know is a good caring
[3:18:29] young young kid
[3:18:33] who
[3:18:35] made a very very very bad choice but has
[3:18:39] no guidance at
[3:18:41] So, I'm really in support of a lot of
[3:18:43] the conversations around
[3:18:45] helping kids find an activity or or
[3:18:47] something that would get them connected
[3:18:49] to the community. And I'm thinking about
[3:18:51] this kid and the the barriers to him
[3:18:55] getting help. Like he he wanted to be in
[3:18:57] sports. I was trying to help him get in
[3:18:59] sports. He didn't have a physical. He
[3:19:02] hadn't had a physical. He didn't have
[3:19:03] health insurance. I'm calling his
[3:19:04] caregiver. It wasn't his parent. It was
[3:19:06] there was so many barriers. and uh he
[3:19:09] didn't end up getting involved in
[3:19:10] sports. And then
[3:19:12] so I I'm I'm in in strong um I'm
[3:19:17] thinking about if if there's a way that
[3:19:19] anyone here
[3:19:22] can be supportive of teachers at Lewis.
[3:19:26] Um
[3:19:28] have conversations with teachers because
[3:19:30] they're the ones that are directly in
[3:19:31] connection with these kids. Um thank you
[3:19:34] so much
[3:19:42] Matthew, Ward 4. Let's start this off
[3:19:46] and be perfectly honest. Teenagers have
[3:19:48] done dumb things since the beginning of
[3:19:51] time, and they're going to continue to
[3:19:53] do them.
[3:19:55] But
[3:19:58] we also need our parents and guardians
[3:20:01] to be the adult role models and yet not
[3:20:05] be afraid that because they're going to
[3:20:07] be this adult role model that they're
[3:20:09] going to be have DHS called on them
[3:20:12] because they're being hard on these kids
[3:20:18] because I listen where has been DHS
[3:20:21] Office of Child Family Services in
[3:20:22] supporting these kids and families?
[3:20:26] We know the sad truth is when these kids
[3:20:29] edge out of the system, there is no
[3:20:31] support from the state.
[3:20:38] Then I have a real good question. How
[3:20:40] many of these guns that have been taken
[3:20:42] off the street were acquired here
[3:20:45] locally within our community not just
[3:20:49] stolen but bought by somebody versus how
[3:20:53] many of them are from away?
[3:20:56] And then have the ones who were
[3:20:59] who weren't stolen but bought and given
[3:21:01] away have they been charged with crimes?
[3:21:06] Our kids need people to believe in them,
[3:21:08] care in them, because when you support
[3:21:10] them, they know there's somebody out
[3:21:11] there who cares about what they do, and
[3:21:13] they'll want to continue this,
[3:21:16] continue your support. I know this
[3:21:18] because I've done it for multiple kids
[3:21:20] and young adults. I just got a kid to go
[3:21:24] back to college after she's been out of
[3:21:26] college for two years
[3:21:30] because she needed someone to believe in
[3:21:32] her that she could do it.
[3:21:36] Now, instead of returning these young
[3:21:39] offenders to their same stomping
[3:21:41] grounds, their same friends, their same
[3:21:45] everything, have we looked at using the
[3:21:47] kinship logic and shipping them to
[3:21:49] family members, maybe outside of their
[3:21:52] exact community? Maybe that will allow
[3:21:54] them to change their trajectory in life.
[3:21:58] But part of the other problem these kids
[3:22:00] are seeing is they're seeing the
[3:22:03] long-term effects of the lack of
[3:22:05] enforcement, be it in drug dealing and
[3:22:08] prostitution here in Lewon, and the lack
[3:22:10] of what I will call the broken window
[3:22:14] crimes. So that they see that there's no
[3:22:16] response, no punishment. Why should we
[3:22:19] change?
[3:22:23] Finally, Long Creek is not a happy
[3:22:26] place.
[3:22:27] where we have to where our kids get
[3:22:29] sent. We used to have a lawn and
[3:22:30] Goodwill Hinckley among others that used
[3:22:33] to run along the very same lines. The
[3:22:36] kids that went there
[3:22:38] earned their way up and out of the
[3:22:40] system by accountability. These kids
[3:22:42] will tell you it was never a nice
[3:22:45] >> Thank you.
[3:23:01] Good evening. My name is Joel Burian and
[3:23:03] I'm a um
[3:23:06] uh live in Lewon and and Susan is uh my
[3:23:09] council person.
[3:23:12] >> Can you see what I can do? Press button.
[3:23:15] How's that? That better?
[3:23:20] just lean in when you talk.
[3:23:22] >> Okay. Uh my uh coming into this meeting,
[3:23:27] I knew that it would probably be very
[3:23:29] difficult to talk. Any type of violence
[3:23:32] issue that you deal with is very
[3:23:33] difficult for anybody community and in
[3:23:36] as well as the victims as well as
[3:23:38] others. I've had the privilege of
[3:23:40] working with a number of trauma victims
[3:23:42] in in my role as a social worker, not
[3:23:44] only here, but in two other states,
[3:23:47] [snorts] including uh suicide as well as
[3:23:50] violence toward others, uh including gun
[3:23:53] violence. What I hear tonight is a
[3:23:56] number of good ideas from a number of
[3:23:58] dedicated people and I think there's
[3:24:00] some solutions here. I know that the
[3:24:03] district attorney has talked about some
[3:24:05] of his needs. The police chief has
[3:24:07] talked about her needs as well as other
[3:24:09] people on the city council. I think one
[3:24:11] of the things is that if we're focusing
[3:24:13] in on maybe the youth violence issue,
[3:24:15] one thing is to make sure that the
[3:24:18] people that are have a stake in this,
[3:24:20] especially the people that are involved
[3:24:22] in doing these things dayto-day have not
[3:24:25] only the resources but also the ability
[3:24:27] to work together. An idea might be that
[3:24:30] when we have kids that commit these crimes or involved in it, there is
[3:24:34] a mechanism to bring community together
[3:24:37] to say this is what we need. This is
[3:24:39] what we need to make sure we're
[3:24:41] protecting the people in the community,
[3:24:43] but also making sure I think a strong
[3:24:46] kind of a wraparound model that was
[3:24:48] described earlier by the Department of
[3:24:50] Corrections might be an option being
[3:24:53] able to do that. The other thing is is
[3:24:55] that coming together as a group in the
[3:24:58] community to talk about issues relating
[3:25:00] to what's needed. It's better to work it
[3:25:03] together and then you approach the
[3:25:05] attorney you I'm sorry you approach the legislature or whoever you want to
[3:25:09] get funding for as a group as a
[3:25:11] community to say this is what we can use
[3:25:13] in Lewon and maybe addressing this issue
[3:25:16] right now might allow other things to
[3:25:18] happen to improve what needs to happen.
[3:25:21] But I think there's a lot of good people
[3:25:23] here. It's just like coming together and
[3:25:25] saying, you know, as a group, we're
[3:25:27] going to do it together. So that's just
[3:25:29] my point. And thank you so much for
[3:25:31] having this meeting tonight. Thank you.
[3:25:41] I'm so short.
[3:25:46] Can you hear me? Okay. My name is
[3:25:48] Melissa Dunn. I'm a community organizer
[3:25:50] in Lewon. I've been doing antiviolence
[3:25:52] efforts since 2018 or even prior than
[3:25:56] that. Um doing peace marches, vigils,
[3:25:59] trying to go to ground zero where
[3:26:00] incidents of violence happened in
[3:26:02] community to um offer community
[3:26:05] response, get comm people connected to
[3:26:07] resources. Network continued uh even a
[3:26:12] two or three summers ago when we started
[3:26:14] having shootings and we went to ground
[3:26:17] zeros. We knocked on doors. We talked to
[3:26:19] neighbors. We talked to impacted
[3:26:20] families. We even talked to youth who
[3:26:23] had bullets in their bodies
[3:26:26] um since then. And so um there's been
[3:26:29] extensive conversations especially
[3:26:31] restorative justice processes and
[3:26:33] restorative practices for impacted
[3:26:35] community especially the youth who may
[3:26:38] have witnessed this this kind of
[3:26:40] violence or became a target because they
[3:26:44] shared the same name as somebody
[3:26:47] wi with in this violence and feared for
[3:26:50] their lives. And um out of our
[3:26:53] discussions for a community program uh
[3:26:55] the mothers and the youth came up with
[3:26:58] an afterchool program to be more
[3:27:01] designed specific to their cultural
[3:27:03] needs and uh so I would ask community to
[3:27:07] trust in community to lead their own uh
[3:27:11] issues especially around prevention and
[3:27:14] awareness. It's a fallacy and it's
[3:27:16] inaccurate information, misinformation,
[3:27:19] disinformation to say that nothing has
[3:27:21] been done about uh antiviolence efforts
[3:27:23] in Lewon. Now, gun violence has always
[3:27:26] existed in Lewon. When I was a teenager,
[3:27:29] I was beat with a handgun from the guy
[3:27:32] that I was with at the time. Broken nose
[3:27:34] concussions, and that was in teen dating
[3:27:36] violence I experienced being trafficked.
[3:27:38] And I know as a 45 year old woman uh
[3:27:43] that uh and experiencing more gun
[3:27:45] violence and domestic violence that
[3:27:47] domestic violence is interconnected to
[3:27:50] gun violence. And so I'd ask people to
[3:27:53] check biases when we're talking about or
[3:27:55] referring to kids who are in survival as
[3:27:58] gangs or gang activity or that the
[3:28:00] assumption they must be involved in
[3:28:02] drugs because um because of my close
[3:28:05] work and I'm not going to share details
[3:28:06] here. Um, I know that uh they're they're
[3:28:11] more so having access to these weapons
[3:28:14] for survival. And it should tell the
[3:28:16] community something
[3:28:18] and what we're feeling in if if youth
[3:28:22] feel they have no other choice for
[3:28:24] safety. If they're resorting to firearms
[3:28:27] for safety or survival and the police,
[3:28:31] we want to believe that they're going to
[3:28:32] save us, but they're not. They don't
[3:28:34] answer the call. They're not there. It's
[3:28:36] community, our connections with one
[3:28:38] another. Thank you,
[3:28:46] » Ronnie Parody, W 6. Uh, I just wanted to
[3:28:50] bring up and I know the city council has
[3:28:52] heard me several times that was
[3:28:54] mentioned about public health. you did
[3:28:57] not pass the public health person that
[3:29:00] we wanted this year. And it's really
[3:29:03] disappointing because we really need a
[3:29:06] public health officer in Lon. If we're
[3:29:09] not using a public health because of
[3:29:12] money, we need to seek a grant or we
[3:29:15] need to use a we're not using a public
[3:29:17] health committee the way it should be
[3:29:20] used. We should be using the committee
[3:29:22] that it comes at least twice a year to
[3:29:24] council. We need meetings on public
[3:29:27] health and gun violence is a public
[3:29:30] health problem. I worked downtown Lon as
[3:29:33] a public health nurse from 2005 to 2015.
[3:29:38] I never had any problems down working
[3:29:41] down in Lon and I've been in every
[3:29:43] single apartment house in downtown Lon,
[3:29:46] believe me. And I grew up in downtown
[3:29:49] Luc when it was really nice. Um but
[3:29:52] anyway, we need public health and we
[3:29:55] need it. We need to get our committees
[3:29:58] from the seniors to the thing. We are
[3:30:01] not using our advisory committees the
[3:30:04] way they should be used. Please do
[3:30:06] something about public health. We need
[3:30:08] that. Look for a grant and everything
[3:30:12] like that. Uh I know you heard me
[3:30:15] before. You'll hear me again at city
[3:30:17] council meetings. I'm pushing for public
[3:30:20] health and it really needs to be in this
[3:30:23] city. Thank you.
[3:30:29] » Hi there. My name is Gail Bander
[3:30:32] Sylvester. I was born in Lewon. I
[3:30:35] graduated from Lewon High School in
[3:30:38] 1985.
[3:30:39] I left Maine for a long time, then came
[3:30:42] back to Lewon to be near my parents. I
[3:30:46] was at the door handing out flyers. The
[3:30:50] flyer title is the best gun control
[3:30:53] ever. I'm inviting all of you if you
[3:30:57] weren't if you didn't get my flyer,
[3:31:00] they're on the table. I'm inviting all
[3:31:03] of you to a meet and greet at Nutty
[3:31:06] Netty's on July 25th.
[3:31:10] 1:30 to 2:00 will be a meet and greet
[3:31:14] and 2:00 will be the first meeting of a
[3:31:18] new organization called DOA
[3:31:24] and there are three initial goals.
[3:31:29] One is to plan free workshops for
[3:31:32] parents and their children. 2hour
[3:31:36] workshops to be held in different
[3:31:39] locations around the city wherever we
[3:31:42] can do them at businesses at adult
[3:31:46] education in the schools at the
[3:31:49] libraries in the park wherever whoever
[3:31:53] will help help will host a meeting. So,
[3:31:56] I'm looking for volunteers. Whatever
[3:31:58] your interest is, you can teach a 2hour
[3:32:03] workshop.
[3:32:04] It can be about sports, a sports clinic.
[3:32:08] It can be about a uh in the arts,
[3:32:11] something with art, music, business, it
[3:32:15] can be any topic. We need to get our
[3:32:18] kids interested in their own lives. We
[3:32:22] need them to have interests and we need
[3:32:26] to make it possible for them to pursue
[3:32:29] their goals. The second objective is to
[3:32:32] establish a write in a a drop in
[3:32:37] [clears throat] excuse me writing center
[3:32:39] and resource center for adults also at
[3:32:42] the workshops. I forgot to say that
[3:32:45] that's for the parents and the kids. The
[3:32:47] kids will be doing the activities and
[3:32:50] the the adults will be having uh
[3:32:53] education about how they can further
[3:32:57] their children's interests.
[3:33:01] um to establish a writing drop in and
[3:33:04] resource center where kids can come and
[3:33:08] do art and write and where parents can
[3:33:12] pick up equipment,
[3:33:15] paper, whatever they need for their kids
[3:33:18] to do at home. The third initiative is
[3:33:22] adopt a child program.
[3:33:26] partners will seek sponsors for children
[3:33:29] interested in lessons.
[3:33:31] >> That's time. Thank you.
[3:33:32] >> Thank you. Please come and please pick
[3:33:34] up a brochure.
[3:33:36] >> Thank you. That's time. Further public
[3:33:37] comment.
[3:33:44] » My name is Troy and I'm in Ward 4.
[3:33:48] I want to kind of take a different angle
[3:33:50] just a little bit. Uh, I wanted to reach
[3:33:53] out to whoever's watching this online.
[3:33:56] And if you have any friends that aren't
[3:33:58] here, get people more uh involved. It'd
[3:34:02] be nice to have more people show up,
[3:34:05] some different faces to come in here,
[3:34:07] maybe some different opinions.
[3:34:09] Uh, also to kind of get back on topic, I
[3:34:13] would fully support bringing in a
[3:34:16] three-letter agency
[3:34:19] um of any letter combination you want to
[3:34:22] do. IC, FBI, ATF, DEA, whatever. Bring
[3:34:27] those people in here and clean house.
[3:34:30] Get these people out of here. Um, the
[3:34:34] other thing is,
[3:34:39] sorry I lost track of uh where I was
[3:34:41] going with that.
[3:34:43] Oh yes, excuse me. So, the thing that
[3:34:46] really uh ticks me off the most about
[3:34:49] the gun stuff currently is that we've
[3:34:52] been very fortunate
[3:34:55] so far that this hasn't killed anybody
[3:34:59] in this room. hasn't killed. I think one
[3:35:02] person has died. Sorry, I don't have
[3:35:05] those stats on me. I think one person
[3:35:07] has died and that's it. I know some
[3:35:08] people have been hit, haven't died,
[3:35:11] whatever. So far,
[3:35:14] none of us have died, but there's a good
[3:35:17] chance it could come. And uh the thing
[3:35:20] that ticks me off the most is that I'm a
[3:35:23] two-way guy and
[3:35:27] I've done everything by the book my
[3:35:29] whole life. I've paid all my bills. I've
[3:35:31] obeyed the law. I pay my taxes. I mow my
[3:35:34] lawn. I bring my trash out. I have a
[3:35:36] nice place. I do all the right things.
[3:35:39] And some jerk is going to make me
[3:35:43] change my some jerk is going to change
[3:35:45] my life that I never wanted to do
[3:35:49] because they decided that they had a
[3:35:52] different objective and they were going
[3:35:54] to
[3:35:56] insert themselves into my future.
[3:36:00] And I don't want that for me and I don't
[3:36:02] want that for anybody else that protects
[3:36:04] themselves that they have to then defend
[3:36:07] themselves and now they are screwed
[3:36:11] forever because you don't just get to
[3:36:13] protect yourself and go on your merry
[3:36:14] way. It's not how it works. So that's
[3:36:18] what fries my ass. Have a nice day.
[3:36:24] Further public comment.
[3:36:27] Good evening. My name is Rick Lapp
[3:36:29] Chappelle. I am angry that we have
[3:36:31] reached this point. Before we can fix
[3:36:34] these problems, we must be honest about
[3:36:36] how we got here. We must have the
[3:36:38] courage to acknowledge where we have
[3:36:40] failed. Parents, we all have a
[3:36:44] responsibility to raise our children
[3:36:45] with respect, discipline, and
[3:36:48] accountability. Our young people need
[3:36:50] guidance, expectations, and
[3:36:52] consequences.
[3:36:54] To our city council and the mayor, you
[3:36:57] have failed to lead on three serious
[3:37:00] issues facing Lenon. Rather than
[3:37:03] confronting them, you have repeatedly
[3:37:05] refuse to address them. Youth violence,
[3:37:08] the needle epidemic, and the handling of
[3:37:11] funds intended for the victims of the
[3:37:12] Lewon tragedy have demanded action. Yet
[3:37:16] too often they have been met with
[3:37:18] silence or delay. The people of Lewon
[3:37:21] deserve leaders who will face difficult
[3:37:23] issues head-on instead of pushing them
[3:37:25] aside. I want to thank Brett Mel and
[3:37:28] Susan Long Champamps for showing
[3:37:30] leadership on the issue of youth
[3:37:32] violence. We need more people willing to
[3:37:34] step forward and confront the difficult
[3:37:36] problems.
[3:37:38] Our state legislative delegations. All
[3:37:41] four representatives and our senator
[3:37:43] also bear responsibilities.
[3:37:46] Lewon deserves stronger advocacy and
[3:37:49] real action from Augusta. I've only
[3:37:51] noticed one of them here this evening.
[3:37:55] If this meeting is truly about finding
[3:37:57] solutions, we need honest conversations,
[3:38:01] real accountability, and leaders who are
[3:38:03] committed to making Lewon better. Not
[3:38:06] just talking about it, but doing the
[3:38:08] hard work to make it happen. Remember,
[3:38:11] leadership means confronting difficult
[3:38:14] problems, not avoiding them. Thank you.
[3:38:20] » Further public comment.
[3:38:23] >> Hello, my name is Brandy Walton. I'm
[3:38:26] from Ward 4. I've learned so much here
[3:38:29] tonight. Um, this is my first city
[3:38:31] council meeting, so I am in very
[3:38:34] encouraged um to be able to know that
[3:38:37] there are people in the community that
[3:38:38] care about important subjects. Um, I'm
[3:38:42] really here because I heard National
[3:38:44] Guard and in the comments I hear ICE.
[3:38:48] And what would we do to prepare the
[3:38:52] companies, the local businesses that run
[3:38:55] Lewon and have for years and years that
[3:38:58] have the very signs up that don't want
[3:39:00] them there. The people that feel like
[3:39:03] they have been racial prof racially
[3:39:05] profiled. our kids and our neighbors who
[3:39:08] might not look like the kid that came
[3:39:10] from the perfect mom and dad's family
[3:39:13] and may, you know, go go in certain
[3:39:15] parts of the city that might seem that
[3:39:17] they're in there for the wrong reasons.
[3:39:20] Um to basically make sure they feel safe
[3:39:22] as well. the people, the kids that um we
[3:39:27] know the bad taste that ICE and National
[3:39:29] Guard and really a lot of people in
[3:39:31] uniform put in the citizens
[3:39:34] heart now, especially the young people.
[3:39:37] They've seen a lot on TV just on
[3:39:39] Facebook alone.
[3:39:41] the amount of negative, disgusting
[3:39:44] comments that are made and hearing how
[3:39:47] hard that these people in these
[3:39:49] positions are working, knowing that the
[3:39:51] Lewon Police Department is down 11 and
[3:39:54] one on medical leave. You don't know
[3:39:56] that. being a Facebook warrior going
[3:39:59] around and following the biggest news
[3:40:01] and to really get involved and to hear
[3:40:03] what these people are doing and the time
[3:40:05] they're taking away from their families
[3:40:07] to be able to ensure that stuff is
[3:40:09] moving forward. My hats go off to you
[3:40:11] Long Creek and everybody else that's
[3:40:14] doing the work. I'm sure there's common
[3:40:16] ground, but if you're going to be having
[3:40:19] people in the the city that's going to
[3:40:22] be trying to help bring ordinance, and
[3:40:25] it very mel well may be needed where we
[3:40:27] are so short staffed in the agencies,
[3:40:31] but what can we do to help welcome them
[3:40:34] with the people that aren't the bad
[3:40:36] people, that aren't making bad choices,
[3:40:38] um to make them feel safe and want them
[3:40:41] in their neighborhoods, um in their
[3:40:43] schools, around their schools, I
[3:40:45] couldn't imagine going outside on Lisbon
[3:40:47] Street and seeing National Guards
[3:40:49] walking up and down. That alone is scary
[3:40:52] to a lot of people. So, what will we do
[3:40:55] to ease the minds of the people that
[3:40:56] we're trying to protect without, you
[3:41:00] know, I know a lot of you know what I'm
[3:41:02] talking about and I know a lot of you
[3:41:04] won't say anything. So, I'm here today
[3:41:06] to say something. I
[3:41:09] if we can do it with a way that we can
[3:41:12] trust the people in uniform, I think
[3:41:14] it's a great idea. But if we're coming
[3:41:16] in hotaded and get them out of here and
[3:41:19] those people and that's not going to
[3:41:21] solve anything. In fact, I might put a
[3:41:24] sign on my door.
[3:41:25] >> That's time. Thank you.
[3:41:26] >> Thank you.
[3:41:31] » Hi, Wendy McPike. I'm a taxpayer in
[3:41:34] Lewon. Um this has been a very helpful
[3:41:39] evening. I really appreciate all the
[3:41:42] people that have come and shared
[3:41:43] different perspectives
[3:41:45] um different insight of different things
[3:41:48] that they've experienced that they know
[3:41:50] the research things about Long Creek I
[3:41:53] didn't know um things about the school
[3:41:55] and what they're doing. Um I really
[3:41:58] appreciate all of that. Um it's helpful
[3:42:01] and also the resources that are here.
[3:42:04] And one of the things that I've my
[3:42:06] husband and I talk about a lot is there
[3:42:08] are a lot of people in Lewon and a lot
[3:42:11] of organizations and agencies,
[3:42:13] nonprofits doing a lot in Lewon. And I
[3:42:16] I'm hopeful that this um meeting that
[3:42:20] they're going to be having at Nutty
[3:42:21] Netties there, I say that right. um that
[3:42:24] they're going to have some of those
[3:42:26] people come to that meeting to discuss
[3:42:28] what they're doing, where some gaps
[3:42:31] might be, who can fill those gaps within
[3:42:33] those organizations and within those
[3:42:35] communities because these kids we're
[3:42:36] talking about are the future of our
[3:42:40] country, the future of our town, the
[3:42:42] future of this city. So, it's important
[3:42:45] that we don't just dismiss them and that
[3:42:48] we try to look for ways to help them and
[3:42:50] show them that we give a crap. Um,
[3:42:53] because they're they're here. They're
[3:42:55] our future. They're going to be taking
[3:42:57] care of us someday. So, it's we need to
[3:43:00] show that we care and in a way that's
[3:43:02] meaningful. Um, and if it means more
[3:43:05] funding, we're all everybody's short
[3:43:07] staffed everywhere. Um, it's an issue
[3:43:10] and there seems to be some tangible
[3:43:13] things that we can do and just paying
[3:43:16] attention, saying hello, not continuing
[3:43:20] the divide that was talked about earlier
[3:43:22] today. Um, that we come together as a
[3:43:25] community and stop pointing the fingers
[3:43:27] and try to figure out how to help these
[3:43:30] youth that are our future. So, that was
[3:43:34] kind of my thing. I had something else,
[3:43:35] but I didn't write it down. So anyway,
[3:43:37] that's it.
[3:43:40] >> Last call for public comment.
[3:43:57] My name is Robert Blasby. I live in W 6.
[3:44:00] And at this point, I'm just kind of
[3:44:02] hoping I'm not one of those people or
[3:44:04] them.
[3:44:05] Hoping I'm not mistaken as
[3:44:09] one of those or one of them. I hear that
[3:44:12] a lot. Seen it a lot on Facebook. Kind
[3:44:14] of feel like that's where part of this
[3:44:16] problem lies. It's a matter of culture.
[3:44:19] I haven't been here too long in Lewon.
[3:44:22] Um as a matter of fact, today I'm
[3:44:23] breaking one of my cardinal rules, which
[3:44:25] is if I haven't prepared something to
[3:44:27] speak, I don't speak. But today I kind
[3:44:30] of felt compelled to speak
[3:44:33] because I had more hope coming here
[3:44:36] today than I am leaving with hope. Not
[3:44:39] hopeless, but I have less hope.
[3:44:45] I've listened to some of the questions
[3:44:46] being asked which
[3:44:50] we probably could have found out on
[3:44:51] Google. We have AGs here who are working
[3:44:56] tirelessly to protect us.
[3:44:58] We have other people here who work for
[3:45:01] other agencies and we have no idea what
[3:45:04] it takes to do their job. We don't know
[3:45:05] where their funding streams are. We
[3:45:07] don't know that they're underst staffed.
[3:45:10] And what everyone is met with is the one
[3:45:13] thing I didn't come here for, which is
[3:45:14] political debacery.
[3:45:17] Both sides. I don't care who you are. I
[3:45:19] don't care what ward you're from. It's
[3:45:21] them or us. When I moved here, I saw I
[3:45:24] closed on my house hours around the
[3:45:26] shooting and all I saw was Lewon Strong
[3:45:29] all over the place. Blew everywhere. I
[3:45:31] felt included in that.
[3:45:35] I don't know. I kind of feel like it's a
[3:45:36] little bit more divisive now than
[3:45:38] anything else. And that's everyone's
[3:45:39] problem. That's all of your problems who
[3:45:42] represent us and it's everybody else's
[3:45:44] problem who's sitting here. I haven't
[3:45:46] heard anything productive today. I've
[3:45:48] heard a lot of blaming, a lot of
[3:45:50] fingerpointing, but nothing that's going
[3:45:52] to lead to results. I haven't heard a
[3:45:54] lot of good questions.
[3:45:56] How are we going to fund it? There were
[3:45:59] a couple of defin definitely a couple of
[3:46:01] questions about funding streams that
[3:46:02] could point us in the right direction.
[3:46:05] But I've seen
[3:46:07] counselors sitting up here listening to
[3:46:10] people who are killing themselves to do
[3:46:12] this work who have sat there and rolled
[3:46:14] their eyes and snickered.
[3:46:19] It's disrespectful and distasteful.
[3:46:23] And it's not a good representation of
[3:46:25] your ward. Whoever it was, you know who
[3:46:27] it is.
[3:46:29] Anyway, I hope that this becomes a
[3:46:32] little bit more productive down the
[3:46:33] road. I hope that there's a lot more
[3:46:35] cooperation.
[3:46:37] Hope there's a lot more generating of of
[3:46:39] good ideas and collaboration. But from
[3:46:42] what I've seen tonight, I haven't seen
[3:46:44] it from from anyone.
[3:46:47] So, good luck.
[3:46:52] Further public comment.
[3:46:58] » Good evening. Can you hear me? Thank
[3:47:01] you. Um, my name is Fatuma Hussein. I
[3:47:03] actually live in Auburn, but I work in
[3:47:06] Lewon for the last
[3:47:09] 24 years. So, I spend more time in Lewon
[3:47:13] than in my city.
[3:47:15] Um, one thing that I want to say is
[3:47:18] first of all, um, the mass mass shooting
[3:47:21] funding that should be fixed. It really
[3:47:23] needs to be fixed and it needs to go to
[3:47:25] right people. So that's one thing. I am
[3:47:28] Somali. I'm a Somali descent. We too are
[3:47:31] victims of crime. We too are victims of
[3:47:34] gun violence. We have a lot of kids. Um,
[3:47:38] I know that's the elephant in the room,
[3:47:39] right? like we talk about this gun
[3:47:41] violence that is in circles, but it's
[3:47:43] actually about Somalis and I I just want
[3:47:46] to say it, you know, right there and
[3:47:47] then so that people are aware of what
[3:47:49] we're talking about. A lot of Somali
[3:47:51] people are good. We are taxpayers.
[3:47:55] We have made Lewon a thriving place. We
[3:47:58] have had a lot of issues along the s
[3:48:01] along the way. A lot of us are women and
[3:48:04] children. We do not have, you know, many
[3:48:07] head of household that are men. we don't
[3:48:09] have a lot of role models and therefore
[3:48:14] um you know accountability I think is
[3:48:16] one of the things that we need to do. I
[3:48:17] think if we have gun problems back in
[3:48:20] 2006 we predicted I predicted we have a
[3:48:24] lot of um you know um sorry drug
[3:48:28] problems
[3:48:30] and
[3:48:32] at the time what I said was if we don't
[3:48:35] do anything about drugs we will have a
[3:48:37] lot of gun problems and if we don't do
[3:48:40] anything about gun problems we will have
[3:48:41] bombs and that that I'm going to say it
[3:48:43] on the record because where we're headed
[3:48:45] is not good. It is not good that we have
[3:48:48] leaders who are not getting along. It is
[3:48:50] not good that we we're pointing at each
[3:48:53] other's fingers. We're not coming up
[3:48:55] with solutions. We know that the issue
[3:48:57] is big. We also know that we have
[3:49:01] children who are vulnerable. They don't
[3:49:04] have the services that they need and if
[3:49:06] they do it's limited. We have a lot of
[3:49:08] trauma. We come from war torn countries
[3:49:10] and that is also problematic. I am
[3:49:13] talking to you as a mother of eight
[3:49:14] children. and I have four boys and four
[3:49:15] girls. And I've worked tirelessly to
[3:49:18] ensure that my kids have the best school
[3:49:22] education and support at home. It was
[3:49:24] not easy, but it was really something
[3:49:26] that I had to do. A lot of Somali
[3:49:29] mothers are not the same. We don't speak
[3:49:31] English. We have a lot of issues. And
[3:49:33] therefore, what we need to do is come up
[3:49:36] with a solution that is communitydriven.
[3:49:39] I think there's got to be some
[3:49:40] leadership changes, too. Because if
[3:49:42] leaders are not getting along, they need
[3:49:44] to leave and we need to have the right
[3:49:46] people who are going to make changes.
[3:49:48] And so Lucen is still strong. It is
[3:49:50] always going to be strong. We need to
[3:49:52] work together. And mayor, I implore you
[3:49:55] for you to have a committee that can
[3:49:57] look at this that has no bipartisan. I
[3:50:00] know.
[3:50:00] >> That's Thank you. Thank you. Last
[3:50:06] >> last call for public comment.
[3:50:12] Wow.
[3:50:17] I'm just going to try to summarize some
[3:50:19] of the things I've heard tonight.
[3:50:20] >> You just have your name and where you
[3:50:21] live.
[3:50:22] >> Oh, I'm sorry. Jean Keane, Ward One.
[3:50:25] Um, just want to summarize some of the
[3:50:27] things. Unfortunately, we're at a point
[3:50:29] where it comes to money a little bit
[3:50:32] and you people are responsible for that.
[3:50:35] The state's responsible for it. That's
[3:50:37] where we're at.
[3:50:40] Secondly, and Jake will probably verify
[3:50:43] this as well, this meeting reminds me of
[3:50:47] parent student conferences at schools.
[3:50:50] I'm a 40-year educator,
[3:50:53] taught math, fizzed,
[3:50:55] athletic director, part-time assistant
[3:50:57] principal.
[3:50:59] And what we find when we have parent
[3:51:02] teacher conferences
[3:51:04] is that the parents
[3:51:06] that should be there don't come.
[3:51:11] They don't come.
[3:51:15] And I don't think the people that need
[3:51:16] to hear what was said here tonight are
[3:51:19] here tonight.
[3:51:22] The people that are here tonight are the
[3:51:25] same ones that go to the teacher
[3:51:26] conferences.
[3:51:30] So somehow
[3:51:32] as a council, you need to find a way to
[3:51:35] reach those people.
[3:51:40] other things like gun owner
[3:51:42] responsibility,
[3:51:43] legislation, and so forth. Those are all
[3:51:46] issues.
[3:51:49] The number one issue in my eyes
[3:51:53] is lack of parenting.
[3:51:57] When they come out of the womb, you got
[3:51:59] to start parenting.
[3:52:02] If you wait, it's too late.
[3:52:05] You got to manage social media. You got
[3:52:08] to check their rooms. It's your house,
[3:52:11] not theirs. I'd like to end with two
[3:52:14] stories that from my career that had an
[3:52:17] impact on me.
[3:52:20] At one of the schools I was at when a
[3:52:23] student
[3:52:25] uh disobeyed the drug and alcohol
[3:52:27] policy, it was a 365day
[3:52:30] penalty.
[3:52:32] We had the kid that did that. He came in
[3:52:34] with his parents. We discussed it. the
[3:52:36] parents. Okay,
[3:52:38] we agree with it. 6 months later,
[3:52:43] they came in.
[3:52:45] They had put their son through all kinds
[3:52:47] of uh rehabilitation stuff and so forth.
[3:52:53] We let the kid back in because they
[3:52:55] parented.
[3:52:56] Second story, we wanted to suspend a kid
[3:53:01] because he got in trouble. Parents went
[3:53:03] to bat for the kid and got him out of
[3:53:05] it.
[3:53:06] Six months later, he went to college,
[3:53:09] killed himself.
[3:53:12] Parent came back to me two weeks after
[3:53:14] that.
[3:53:15] >> Thank you.
[3:53:16] >> Parent came back after that and said he
[3:53:19] should have listened.
[3:53:20] >> That's time. Thank you.
[3:53:22] >> Thank you for all you do.
[3:53:24] >> Last last call for public comment.
[3:53:31] Andrew Jones, Ward 2. Uh, we heard a lot
[3:53:34] of comments tonight about uh,
[3:53:36] restorative justice. And I'm not saying
[3:53:39] I disagree with restorative justice. I
[3:53:41] just think it has its place for certain
[3:53:42] things. Uh, restorative justice would be
[3:53:44] great for, you know, like broken windows
[3:53:47] or somebody playing mailbox baseball. Uh
[3:53:50] but when we're talking about uh sailing
[3:53:52] rounds through downtown and potentially
[3:53:55] putting people's lives in danger, I
[3:53:57] think we're way past the point of
[3:53:58] restorative justice and we really need
[3:54:00] to uh involve the criminal criminal
[3:54:03] prosecution of these youths. Um another
[3:54:07] thing I had heard uh from the chief was
[3:54:10] that uh there was isn't a possibility of charging parents for the uh crimes
[3:54:15] committed for their use. And I I I would
[3:54:19] love to know more about that because I
[3:54:22] mean right here in Lewon, the stepfather
[3:54:25] of Jasper Smith is facing a manslaughter
[3:54:28] charge um because Jasper got a hold of
[3:54:31] his handgun and accidentally shot
[3:54:33] himself. Um he he's uh he's in peril of
[3:54:38] losing his freedom. Um and that's right
[3:54:41] here in Lewis to Maine. Uh across the
[3:54:43] nation, uh states are picking up uh the
[3:54:47] ability to uh hold parents accountable
[3:54:49] for when their children do things with
[3:54:51] firearms like shoot up schools. Um you
[3:54:55] know, there's a man in Georgia who is
[3:54:58] gone away for the rest of his life, uh
[3:55:01] charged with murder, even though it was
[3:55:02] his son who used a firearm to murder his
[3:55:04] classmates.
[3:55:06] >> [gasps]
[3:55:06] >> Um,
[3:55:08] another topic I just wanted to touch on
[3:55:10] is, um,
[3:55:13] there's a lot of talk about looking for
[3:55:14] taxpayer money to fund various
[3:55:16] nonprofits to do a lot of work. And I
[3:55:21] would just say that if this council were
[3:55:24] to be in the position to fund such
[3:55:27] things that they scrutinize them, I
[3:55:29] would hate to see a repeat of uh, the
[3:55:32] mass shooting money and how that was
[3:55:34] used. um a member of this council for a
[3:55:37] day was a recipient of that money. Uh he
[3:55:40] is he had a firearm stolen out of his
[3:55:43] vehicle, didn't get charged for that,
[3:55:44] and he's also under indictment for
[3:55:46] trafficking of firearms, which I think
[3:55:48] contributes to this problem in our city.
[3:55:51] Um lastly, another thing that the chief
[3:55:54] touched on um when asked was what is the
[3:55:57] commonality? uh why is why is Lewon such
[3:56:00] a uh a hot spot for this particular
[3:56:03] crime? And I would question the
[3:56:05] demographic of the individuals
[3:56:07] responsible. Granted, I'm not in the
[3:56:09] downtown. I don't see this stuff
[3:56:11] happening myself. You know, I live in
[3:56:13] the suburbs. We don't have this problem.
[3:56:15] Um but we saw the video on Jefferson
[3:56:18] Street. And while we do not know the
[3:56:20] background of that child, we do know
[3:56:22] what he looked like. and I would
[3:56:23] question if there's a commonality
[3:56:25] between him and the other people
[3:56:27] responsible. And uh that's 3 2 1. Have a
[3:56:32] nice night.
[3:56:34] >> Uh any further public comment?
[3:56:37] is now closed. Uh back to
[3:56:40] the council for any final thoughts if
[3:56:42] councilors have them. Uh we're starting
[3:56:45] on the other end this time. Councelor
[3:56:47] Martell, is there anything you'd like to
[3:56:49] say as we're wrapping up?
[3:56:51] >> Nope. Thank you, Mr. Mayor,
[3:56:54] >> councelor Chidum,
[3:56:56] >> merely. Thank you to all of you who
[3:56:58] presented, all of you who spoke, all of
[3:57:00] you who listened. Um, I think there were first steps taken tonight.
[3:57:05] Long way to go. Thank you very much.
[3:57:08] Councelor Noble,
[3:57:11] Councelor Roy,
[3:57:13] >> just want to say thank you to everybody
[3:57:15] and um yeah, thank you for coming out
[3:57:18] and listening and offering up your
[3:57:22] thoughts.
[3:57:24] >> Councelor Harman,
[3:57:25] >> same for me. Thank you to everyone who's
[3:57:27] here.
[3:57:28] >> Councelor Long Champs.
[3:57:30] >> Thank you, Mayor. Yes, thank you uh for
[3:57:32] coming out. Um we have heard a lot um
[3:57:36] about different resources for our youth.
[3:57:39] Um some solutions. We've heard that we
[3:57:42] need a lot of lots of money. But one
[3:57:44] thing that we really haven't talked
[3:57:46] about and I won't talk long about this,
[3:57:48] but what are we doing or what are what
[3:57:50] is our plan to protect the people that
[3:57:52] have nothing to do with this youth gun
[3:57:54] violence where the stray bullets are
[3:57:56] hitting their houses or their cars?
[3:57:58] That's why I called for the National
[3:58:00] Guard to come here, not to intimidate
[3:58:02] people, but to help people. We are 11
[3:58:05] officers down and there is maybe a
[3:58:09] handful of people that and cuz I scanned
[3:58:11] the room and I'm in downtown every
[3:58:14] single day, seven days a week, 12 hours
[3:58:17] a day. And there was maybe a handful of
[3:58:20] people in this room from downtown.
[3:58:24] I hear scared parents, grandmothers
[3:58:29] that will only run to the store quickly
[3:58:31] because they're afraid of a stray bullet
[3:58:33] hitting them. It is our
[3:58:36] responsibilityility
[3:58:37] to help. We are 11 officers down. By
[3:58:41] golly, we need some sort of help. And I
[3:58:44] will continue to say it and I will
[3:58:45] continue to show up. And I love Lewon
[3:58:48] and I love every single person in here.
[3:58:50] black, white, I don't care who you are
[3:58:52] or what you are. And most people,
[3:58:55] everybody that knows me know that that
[3:58:57] knows that that's true, but we have to
[3:59:00] do something. There are people that are
[3:59:02] living in fear every day in the downtown
[3:59:04] area because the reality is is you never
[3:59:08] know if you're going to the damn laundry
[3:59:10] mat, if you're going to get hit with a
[3:59:11] bullet. My mother won't even leave her
[3:59:13] house. She lives on the corner of Horton
[3:59:14] and Pine Street except for to go to a
[3:59:16] church function.
[3:59:25] Thank you, councelor Longs. Um,
[3:59:27] councelor Nene,
[3:59:30] >> thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'd just like to
[3:59:31] say to all the folks that came out um
[3:59:33] tonight, thank you. Uh, everybody
[3:59:35] watching at home, uh, I hope you've
[3:59:38] learned some things. Everybody who works
[3:59:40] in these fields, thank you so very much
[3:59:42] for your time and coming to speak speak
[3:59:44] to us. And just to point out, the room
[3:59:48] was filled with the folks that show up
[3:59:51] at student uh parent parent student
[3:59:55] meetings. This this was in some levels a
[4:00:00] meeting for the suburbs. And so the
[4:00:01] question is how do we bring this message
[4:00:04] to the people who are actually impacted
[4:00:06] by the violence every day? Um and so th
[4:00:09] I think those places are where we have
[4:00:12] to have some of these conversations.
[4:00:15] Thank you.
[4:00:18] >> Uh I really appreciate everyone coming
[4:00:20] out. Thank you for uh thank you for
[4:00:22] speaking. Thank you for uh tuning in. Uh
[4:00:26] you know in this room uh many different
[4:00:28] viewpoints and philosophies are
[4:00:30] represented but I truly believe that uh
[4:00:34] all of us here are coming from a good
[4:00:36] place and we love Lewon. So I appreciate
[4:00:38] you turning out tonight. Thank you so
[4:00:39] much and a huge round of applause again
[4:00:42] for our presenters.
[4:00:48] Uh, may I have a a mo? Yeah, we are at
[4:00:50] an official council meeting. So, may I
[4:00:51] have a motion to adjurnn? Uh, councelor
[4:00:54] Martell, second by councelor Nene.
[4:00:56] Madame clerk, uh, you what?
[4:01:01] Okay,
[4:01:03] we're now adjourned. You all have a
[4:01:04] wonderful evening.