The Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston, recently created to investigate the horrific mass shootings at two family-oriented Lewiston business sites, issued a written interim report, March 15. At the panel’s first meeting, it proposed April 1, 2024, as the date of an interim report. No reason was given for it being two weeks early.
The interim report of 30 pages contained this sentence: that the Sagadahoc Sheriff’s failure to take Card into custody, using existing laws, was “an abdication of law enforcement’s responsibility.”
According to the commission’s record, the interim report was early, and arguably exceeded the definition of them: “Interim; the time between two events. Lasting for a short time, until a replacement is found.” (Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus)
The substantial impact of those words seems decisive enough to question why they merited early, “interim” projection? That alone, motivated a March 23 letter to the editor from Karen Mosher claiming: the “Commission wrong to put blame on one deputy.” Arguably, she took the commission’s interim report to be the final decision on a particular issue. Such interim reports are best shunned by groups making decisions.
Generally, bones of interim reports do not display much meat. This one did.
John Benoit
Manchester
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