Maine State Police Respond To The Lewiston Commission’s Report

Maine State Police have issued a response to the Independent Commission's report on the handling of the Lewiston mass shooting.

This After-Action Review Follows the Independent Commission's Report

The Commission's report was issued on August 20th and cited some failures on the part of several agencies in the handling of the situation, before and after the shooting. Among the groups analyzed by the report were law enforcement agencies, the Army, and others. Commission members strongly encouraged the Maine State Police to take a look at the response to the shooting and handling of the subsequent search for Robert card.

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All Aspects of the Police Response Was Examined

On Friday, September 6th, an After-Action Review was released by the Maine State Police of the handling of the incident. That review has been posted online and is available for public viewing. The review focused on tactical responses, investigative response, incident management, crime scene response, communication, and victim and family services. Transparency was also analyzed.

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Many positives are listed in the report, including the response and communication with victims and family members, the response time, and the continuation of the investigation even after Robert Card was found deceased, to answer questions of victims' families.

Areas the review cited as needing improvement included communication between the control centers and investigators, K9 units better equipped for these types of searches, and recognizing the need for regular rest breaks for those involved in the search. The entire report can be found here.

A Further Review Will Be Done By A New England Police Organization

Maine State Police has requested the New England State Police Administrators Compact (NESPAC) to conduct an independent review of the department's After-Action Review , providing any requested information and documents to the investigators. Vermont State Police Colonel Matthew Birmingham will chair the independent review.