LEWISTON – Students from USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College are conducting a survey of Lewiston residents about their attitudes toward community needs and priorities. The students are conducting the survey through June for the Lewiston Police Department.

Residents who were mailed a questionnaire have been selected at random and have received a survey with a postage-paid return envelope. All questionnaires will be anonymous, and no one will know who returned the questionnaires.

The 2005 survey will be the third citizen survey conducted in the last 10 years by USM/L-A students on behalf of the Lewiston Police Department.

The goal is to determine what residents think about police practices and how they might be improved.

In the past, citizen opinions and suggestions gained through the surveys have been used by the LPD to improve practices and bring new techniques to make Lewiston a better community.

Students in Professor Marvin Druker’s research methods class are conducting the survey as a service-learning project for the course.

Service-learning is an important part of the mission of USM/L-A as it allows students to take skills and information into the community and provide a service for local organizations.