LEWISTON — City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath continued to field questions and complaints Monday night as the city’s search for a new police chief continued.

Kaenrath, sitting in a circle of nearly three dozen people at Gather to Grow on Bates Street, responded to a variety of comments, including complaints of systemic racism, the need for more community policing and suggestions that recently suspended Detective Joe Philippon be named the next police chief.

Since former Chief David St. Pierre retired in September, Kaenrath has promised to listen to community input before the choice is made. He has hosted several public meetings on the matter and the Monday night meeting was meant to hear even more voices from local residents.

“Doing this is incredibly important,” Kaenrath said. “We want to know what’s on the mind of our community members.”

Those community members did not let him down.

At least two members of the audience suggested that Detective Joe Philippon, who attended the meeting, be considered for the police chief. Placed on administrative leave last month, Philippon has always been popular in Lewiston for his longtime engagement with the community.

According to Kaenrath, the city is preparing to do deep dives on all the candidates that have come forward.

Presently, he is working with a seven-member selection board as the search for a new police chief continues. The city has been considering candidates from both inside the department and from outside of the force.

But Kaenrath insists that the city does not want to rush into making a selection.

“We want to make sure,” he said, “that we get this pick right.”

One man complained that systemic racism has been a problem between the Police Department and the public. What would help, he said, is someone in charge of the Police Department who is willing to work with elders within the immigrant population.

Others suggested that problems began arising in Lewiston when police ended things like officer bicycle and foot patrols.

Kaenrath agreed with that, saying one of his top priorities is finding a chief who is willing to go out into the community and address the public directly.

“Community engagement is huge,” the city administrator said. “I think the Police Department needs to build trust in the core of the community… Our next chief needs to be willing to be personable out in the community, doing events just like this.”

As he’s professed from the start, Kaenrath said he also considers communication with the city’s youth to be a priority, especially since so many of the city’s recent criminal problems have involved teens between 13 and 19 years old.

“Ideally,” he said, “I’d like to see us find better ways to engage with the youth.”

The Monday night “community listening session” was held at the Gather to Grow building on Bates Street rather than at City Hal like previous meetings.

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline, for one, was a fan of the venue.

“I’m glad that we held this additional session at Gather to Grow,” he said. “I appreciate our community’s feedback and Administrator Kaenrath’s commitment to transparency.”

More public meetings may be held, Kaenrath said, before a new chief is named. The decision is too important to the city, he stressed, to be made without a full preponderance of the city’s most pressing needs in a police chief.

“We have the opportunity here to start a new chapter,” Kaenrath said.