LEWISTON – Local police have been honored for their high level of involvement in the community.

The New England Community Policing Partnership has presented the Lewiston Police Department with the Trojanowicz Award, a commendation for departments that excel in community police work.

Each year, an outstanding police agency, organization or individual is recognized for commitment to excellence in community policing. This year, Lewiston won in the category of city with a population of more than 30,000.

The department’s daily operation demonstrated a strategy that involved community residents working closely together with law enforcement in new ways to solve the problems of crime, fear of crime, physical and social disorder and neighborhood decay, according to the partnership.

The partnership also found that the efforts have been long-term and have focused on improving the overall quality of life in the community.

“This award is a culmination of years of effort to reach out to the community and form partnerships, with a common goal of reducing crime and making the city of Lewiston a safer and more livable community,” Police Chief William Welch said.

City Administrator James A. Bennett said, “This recognition is yet another outstanding example of the day-to-day commitment put forth by members of the Lewiston Police Department. Their innovative and steadfast efforts towards making a difference are doing just that.”

The award is named after Professor Robert Trojanowicz of Michigan State University, the founder of the National Center for Community Policing.

Trojanowicz defined community policing as “a philosophy of full-service, personalized policing, where the same officer patrols and works in the same area on a permanent basis, from a decentralized place, working in a proactive partnership with citizens to identify and solve problems.”

The Awards Committee based its decision on criteria such as personalized service, defined patrol beats, departmental policy and interaction with citizens and other organizations.