Retired LPD Chief Frank Previte reflects on career

Challenges of police work, community support stand out

√ Previte calls Lewiston ‘a wonderful place to work’

Story and Photo by Terry Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

A change at the top has come to the Lewiston Police Department.

In a May 29 letter to the Lewiston Town Board, Lewiston Police Chief Frank Previte announced his retirement, effective Monday, June 30. Previte’s last active day in uniform was Friday, June 13.

Town Councilman John Jacoby read Previte’s letter aloud last month. He quoted him as stating, “I would like to thank the current and all previous Town Board members for the continued support and kindness throughout the years that I have been with the Town of Lewiston. It has been an honor and privilege to serve with such dedicated men and women. Even though I am excited to start this next phase in my life, I will miss working with and alongside all of you. … Thank you all for this wonderful opportunity.”

At the June 23 Town Board meeting, Supervisor Steve Broderick recognized and thanked Previte for his decades of service to LPD and the Niagara County community.

“I would like to present to Chief Previte this Town of Lewiston certificate of appreciation … for over 27 years of outstanding service to the Town of Lewiston, in recognition of your unwavering commitment, dedication and exceptional contributions over the years,” Broderick said.

Soon after, the Town Board, on a motion from Jacoby, unanimously approved the appointment of Capt. Michael Salada as the new chief of the LPD, effective June 28.

Previte began his career with LPD in 1997, serving as chief for the past 10 years. In his four decades of service, he has seen drastic changes in policing and changes in laws related to bail. Previte’s also seen advances in technology, further helping his department identify and deter crime.

All in all, he said, “I've been very blessed here with the boards that I've had, and I'd like to think that it was because of … what I've done here. I've worked here, and they've known what I've done well. You've garnered respect.”

Previte said elected leaders allowed him to do his job – “which shows me that they've had that trust in me,” he said. “I haven't been micromanaged. I haven't really had to deal with a lot of (local) politics.”

Despite the backlash against law enforcement this decade – and the bad actors whose misguided acts have been placed under a national spotlight – Previte said, “One of the things that I'm proudest of is when have you ever seen Lewiston Police in the news for … excessive force? When have you ever seen the Lewiston police in the news for discrimination; for treating somebody disparagingly; for (disrespecting a) different race? We don't. No, we don't have those problems. What we have here (is) treating people fairly.”

Mayor Anne Welch with Previte.

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Commenting on the LPD’s staff of roughly 30 officers, he said, “It's a nice representation for a small department. I think it's very cool. We’ve had the highest percentage of women; we’ve had minorities … we’ve had the best people.”

Previte continued, “I’ve been chief for 10 years. I went to the FBI national academy, I’ve gotten a chance to see a lot of different departments, a lot of different things going on.”

He said his experience with Lewiston “has made it overwhelmingly easy to stay here.”

Closing his book on 28 years with LPD, Previte commented, “The unbelievable community support that this department gets … (is) so nice. One of the things that I’ll miss is driving around in a police car and, instead of people giving you some kind of other gesture, (they’re) waving to you. People that I don’t know. I’ll miss that. I’ll miss the friendliness, the appreciation that we have at festivals; people coming up, ‘Thank you so much, thank you.’

“It’s such a wonderful place to work. It really is. I know I’m biased in saying that, but I have experienced going into other communities working with other departments here, and as it good as it might be, there’s nothing like it is here. The support we have from the community, it’s like family here.”