A tough year for policing in America
IN THE CITY
By Chief Matt Irwin
Since this will be the police department’s final “In the City” article for 2015, I thought I would recap some of this year’s events and try to provide some local perspective.
For anyone who’s followed the news this year, it’s obviously been a tough year for policing in America. Several controversial deaths of citizens at the hands of police, a criminal justice system that is under attack from all sides, and the early mass release of convicted criminals has caused a sense of uncertainty about police officers in some and a sense of fear about what is to come in local communities around the state and country.
We are fortunate in Maine not to have crime and violence problems to the extent the rest of the country does but that is not to say we don’t have problems. Drug addiction, abysmal state resources or interest in mental health matters, combined with rising crime trends create an environment with the potential for more serious problems.
The professional staff of the Presque Isle Police Department is committed to the highest standards of law enforcement and integrity in all we do. While almost always interesting, policing presents a lot of un-pleasantries which aren’t always understood, when viewed from a bystander’s perspective.
We should always strive to improve our processes including our criminal justice system but today’s politically driven conversation cast’s great aspersion onto the system without the sort of helpful knowledge or insights necessary to have an informative dialogue. There is no “one size fits all” system and we are all better off for a system that provides certain discretion for prosecutors, judges, and certainly police officers. We must be careful about sweeping changes that aren’t based on the reality we live in.
Winter parking rules will be strictly enforced
In other news, don’t forget about Presque Isle’s Holiday Parade coming up on Saturday, Dec. 5th. There is a slight change in how curb-side parking will be handled this year. There will be No Parking permitted (all day on December 5th) on Main Street between Academy and State streets. Vehicles left overnight on December Friday, Dec. 4th will be towed if we can’t locate the owners to have them moved.
Pedestrian safety has been a great concern over the past few years and with kids darting in and out of parked cars, we have decided to prohibit parking in that area prior to and during the parade. We do not anticipate any significant inconveniences for the business community or their patrons and the move will greatly improve public safety for a much more enjoyable parade experience for everyone.
Please have a very Happy Thanksgiving; a safe, productive, and prosperous Black Friday; and an overall wonderful holiday season!
Chief Matthew J. Irwin of the Presque Isle Police Department can be reached at 764-2535 or via email at mirwin@presqueisleme.us.
