BIDDEFORD — In a change of tone from past meetings, residents spoke tactfully at Tuesday’s City Council meeting as they addressed officials about the child sexual abuse allegations that surfaced several months ago against two ex- Biddeford police officers.

In recent weeks, unruly behavior has twice forced the adjournment of council meetings, which prompted Mayor Alan Casavant to release a statement last week condemning that behavior and vowing to put an end to it.

Casavant said after Tuesday’s meeting that he thought things went better this time around.

“Part of the whole thing is to try to create a better dynamic between the council and the audience,” he said. “One of the things that struck me is that somebody said a number of times, ‘I love Biddeford,’ and I think that’s the common denominator because everybody up on the dais loves Biddeford too. The audience loves Biddeford, so there’s a common denominator. It’s just a question of issues and how you respond to issues.”

For the most part, residents spoke Tuesday of their desire for the city to take some form of action in the wake of the allegations, which surfaced early this year after Boston resident Matt Lauzon, who grew up in Biddeford, began accusing a former Biddeford police sergeant of sexually abusing him as a young teenager. Lauzon’s allegations prompted several others to come forward, alleging abuse by the same man as well as another former Biddeford officer.

But a months-long investigation into Lauzon’s claims by the state Attorney General’s Office, which ended last month, resulted in no charges.

Despite the AG’s decision, Lauzon, other alleged victims and their supporters have continued to ask the council to place Police Chief Roger Beaupre, who was in command when much of the alleged abuse occurred, on paid leave while the department as a whole is investigated. However, the City Council has twice voted against doing that, claiming there is no evidence to prove Beaupre mishandled allegations that surfaced recently or in the past.

“I would like to see something done,” resident Karl Reed Jr. told officials at Tuesday’s meeting. “I don’t care if I have to be 45 or 50 (years old). I will still be voicing my opinion.”

“My fear is, unless something very drastic happens in Biddeford, there will be no changes,” said resident Doris McAuliffe, a contender for one of the council’s two at-large seats, who says she was sexually abused as a young child. “Sexual abuse will continue; corruption will prevail; the citizens of Biddeford will become pawns in a game of chess.”

While resident Bob Parenteau said he was “shocked” by the explicit behavior of some audience members at the Sept. 1 council meeting, and argued that acting in such a way can only hurt the cause of the alleged victims, he also urged city officials and the alleged victims to band together to create what he called “a plan of action … to build an ironclad and actionable case against the (alleged) molesters in a court of law.”

Parenteau also proposed the city fund a team of attorneys as part of the plan. “I assure you, Mr. Mayor, that this would be money well spent,” he said.

But Casavant said after the meeting that the city does not anticipate taking any immediate action on the matter, as it is not a body of law enforcement.

“There are individuals that still assume the city of Biddeford has some sort of role to play in terms of justice for the victims,” he said, “and in actuality it goes through the criminal justice process, which we’re not part of. … My job still remains to follow the law and to protect personnel rights and labor rights and all those other things.”

Casavant said at this point, the only recourse for the alleged victims would be to pursue a civil case. Lauzon and his attorney have repeatedly said they plan to file a civil lawsuit against Lauzon’s alleged abuser as well as the city.

— Staff Writer Angelo J. Verzoni can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or averzoni@journaltribune.com.