The City of Lewiston selected a 25-year law enforcement veteran and the first woman ever to lead its police department.
Carly Conley joined the Lewiston Police Department in 2001 as a patrol officer and rose through the ranks serving in nearly every division of the agency.
Her appointment concludes a months-long, nation-wide search process overseen by City Manager Bryan Kaenrath and a five-member community advisory board. Conley was the only local candidate among 18 finalists.
Kaenrath says Conley's leadership will emphasize what residents called for in community listening sessions; transparency and community engagement, especially among youth and immigrant groups.
"She brings not only a wealth of professional experience, but also a deep understanding of this community, its people and the challenges we face," Kaenrath said. "Carly has earned the respect of her peers and the confidence of this administration through her steady leadership, sound judgment and quiet determination."
Conley takes up leadership of Maine's second-largest police force in a particularly turbulent time for the city. While shootings and crime rates are down overall, violent crime involving young people ages 10 to 19 is on the rise.
According to the department's annual report, Lewiston police responded to 50,000 calls and made over 2,500 arrests in 2024. About a dozen officers in the 80-person staff are eligible to retire.
The agency is also tasked with responding to Lewiston's unhoused population as well as those experiencing mental health crises and struggling with substance-use disorders. New state mandates, such as recently passed 'red-flag gun laws' and Medicinally Assisted Treatment (MAT) for drug use in jails will also bring fresh challenges for the new chief.
"The police cannot do it alone, and the community cannot rely on law enforcement alone," Conley said after being sworn in to the position. "I believe our greatest progress will come when we walk the same path, share the same values and invest in each other's success."
At a community listening session in August, Lewiston resident Asha Mohamed addressed the crowd of about a dozen people while holding her infant son. She said people of color often fear Lewiston police and immigrants don't use emergency services for fear of being detained.
"I'm not a bad person. I've had a clean history, but yet every time I get pulled over, I just feel like I'm on attack mode," Mohamed said. "I just feel like a criminal automatically. I just feel like there should be different approaches, so we feel safer."
Other residents called for officers to visit public schools and youth centers and for the department to be faster about releasing information about violent crime.
Conley addressed the call for transparency in her speech.
"I pledge to listen to you the public, our partners, our officers, because your feedback matters," she said.
However, Conley did not take questions from reporters after the ceremony.
Instead, she and Kaenrath will hold two additional community listening sessions. The first is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Geiger Elementary.
Conley replaces David St. Pierre, who retired from the force in September and is now nominated to serve as the U.S. Marshal for Maine.
