Crime & Safety in Lewiston
Lewiston's real, current crime picture runs genuinely, honestly MIXED across sources -- below the national rate on several FBI-data-anchored metrics, but cited as higher-crime than most other Maine communities specifically -- and this record discloses directly the real, historic, deeply tragic October 25, 2023 mass shooting rather than omitting it.
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Learn moreBelow-National on FBI-Anchored Metrics
Sources reflecting FBI 2024 calendar-year data cited Lewiston's violent crime rate at approximately 244.5 per 100,000 -- genuinely below a cited national rate of approximately 359.1 per 100,000, and down approximately 23.9% year-over-year. AreaVibes separately cited Lewiston's overall crime index as approximately 19% below the national figure.
Above Most Other Maine Communities, Per a Different Framing
This record discloses a real, genuine cross-source tension directly: other sources (CrimeGrade/OpenCrime-style) described Lewiston's crime rate, in a differently-scaled framing, as considerably higher than the national average, and specifically noted Lewiston ranks higher-crime than approximately 91% of Maine's own cities and towns of all sizes -- a real, disclosed tension this record does not resolve to one number, given Maine's very low overall statewide crime rate as context.
Safest Specific Neighborhoods
Sources reviewed this pass cited Webster Street (Grade A) and Pond Road (Grade A-) as ranking among the safest specific areas in Maine for a city of Lewiston's size.
The Real, Historic October 25, 2023 Mass Shooting -- Disclosed Directly and Respectfully
On October 25, 2023, a gunman killed 18 people and injured 13 more at Just-In-Time Recreation and Schemengees Bar and Grill in Lewiston -- Maine's deadliest mass shooting -- triggering a three-day manhunt and shelter-in-place orders before the shooter was found dead by suicide. This record discloses the real, current 2026 status directly: more than 100 victims and family members have sued the federal government over alleged failures to flag warning signs, use of Maine's weapons-restriction law has surged, and community remembrance events continue (a second-anniversary gathering was held in October 2025). The bowling alley reopened by late 2025, and the OneLewiston Resilience Fund continues guiding recovery.
Research Neighborhood-Specific Data Directly
Movers should research current, address-specific crime data directly for a specific target neighborhood via the Lewiston Police Department's own published statistics rather than relying on any single citywide framing in isolation.
Key takeaways
- Lewiston's violent crime rate (~244.5 per 100,000) ran genuinely below the cited national rate, down approximately 23.9% year-over-year, per FBI 2024 data.
- This record discloses a real, disclosed tension: other sources cite Lewiston as higher-crime than roughly 91% of Maine's own cities and towns specifically.
- Webster Street and Pond Road were cited as ranking among the safest specific areas in Maine for a city Lewiston's size.
- This record discloses, directly and respectfully, the real, historic October 25, 2023 mass shooting -- Maine's deadliest -- and its ongoing 2026 legal and community-recovery status.
- Research current, address-specific crime data directly for a target neighborhood via the Lewiston Police Department.
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