LEWISTON - Maine's commissioner of public safety will talk about the connection between animal abuse and domestic violence at noon Thursday at the Lewiston Public Library.

Anne Jordan's presentation in the library's Callahan Hall is part of the Great Falls Forum lecture series. It is free and open to the public. Attendees are invited to bring a brown-bag lunch; bottled water will be available. A question-and-answer period will follow the talk.

Jordan, an attorney, has been involved in animal welfare law, representing animal shelters and rescue groups throughout the state. In the course of her work, she encountered cases where household pets of abuse victims were cruelly harmed.

"The problem of animal abuse and domestic violence is deeply intertwined and often misunderstood," Jordan said. "It leaves deep scars on the victims, their young children and the animals that can often never be erased."

Jordan is the first woman to serve as commissioner of public safety in Maine. She oversees the Maine Department of Public Safety's nine bureaus: Capitol Security, the Criminal Justice Academy, Drug Enforcement, the Gambling Control Board, Highway Safety, Emergency Medical Services, the Emergency Communications Bureau, the Fire Marshal's Office and Maine State Police.

Jordan's talk will be the final program in the forum's season. Anyone with ideas for speakers or topics for the upcoming season, which starts in September, should contact Lewiston Public Library Director Rick Speer at 513-3004, or rspeer@ci.lewiston.me.us. Joining the library as co-sponsors of the forum series are Bates College, St. Mary's Hospital and the Sun Journal.