After a relatively quiet winter and early spring, gun violence has picked back up in Lewiston’s downtown residential area, and Lewiston police are hoping new surveillance cameras will help stem violent crime.

The department received a $70,000 federal grant on June 17 to expand and upgrade its surveillance system around the city. The grant, which does not hold the city to any matching funds, will pay for 14 new portable cameras. Police will be able to mount the units to utility poles, buildings, traffic lights and other structures. The surveillance system will also have a major software upgrade and police expect it to be operational by mid-to-late summer.

While police say the cameras will be a valuable new tool for investigations, they also acknowledge they cannot rely on technology to curb crime.

Lewiston police Lt. Derrick St. Laurent said community cooperation will always be paramount to holding criminals accountable.

“Unfortunately, we’ve encountered several shooting incidents (either captured on camera or the suspects seen fleeing on camera), and either no victim was located or the victim declined to cooperate with the investigation,” St. Laurent said. This presents a significant challenge in holding individuals accountable and ensuring community safety.”

Gun violence has been trending upward in Lewiston over the past several years. Police have responded to over 200 reports of gunfire since 2010, with a noticeable uptick beginning as early as 2019. A string of recent shootings, including one on Friday in which the Masjidu Salaam Mosque was shot at and cars were hit, has heightened public concern.

Despite no injuries being reported in any of those cases, there is a growing frustration among residents and local officials over what they see as a lack of accountability for those pulling the trigger.

Equally as frustrating for police are incidents in which security footage showed suspects or muzzle flashes, but without witnesses or victims willing to speak, the cases stall.

While the camera grant will not be an antidote for the overall problem, police are optimistic the new software will make it easier to track suspects and allow integration with camera networks from neighboring agencies. The upgrade will also link all existing surveillance equipment into a unified system, which police say will enhance investigative capabilities.

“Our intent is to install the cameras in locations where they will have the greatest impact — specifically in areas with high call volumes,” St. Laurent said, adding that one of the greatest features of the package is advanced software included with the cameras. The department is “optimistic about the role it will play in enhancing our investigations.”

St. Laurent noted that facial recognition will not be one of the tools the department uses. The use of facial recognition has prompted backlash in some communities that have installed surveillance cameras to reduce crime.

Though police anticipate the new surveillance system will yield results for future investigations, the department continues to urge anyone with information about past or future incidents to come forward.

“The cameras will be a valuable tool,” St. Laurent said, “but we continue to rely heavily on community cooperation.”