PORTLAND – Seeking to restore public confidence, city officials have asked the federal government to review the Portland Police Department as part of a series of initiatives intended to curtail the use of excessive force.

The request to the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice follows a recent $600,000 settlement of a police brutality lawsuit brought by a man who said he suffered a permanent brain injury when two officers beat him.

The Justice Department has indicated that it will conduct a preliminary review in the near future and then determine the extent to which it will conduct a more in-depth examination.

A request for such federal oversight is unprecedented in Maine. Federal reviews undertaken in other states usually have been the result of court orders.

“The ability of the department to conduct itself in a fair, moderated way, and to police itself when it does not, is at issue here,” said City Manager Joseph Gray, who joined Mayor Karen Geraghty and Police Chief Michael Chitwood in announcing the request Tuesday.

“Confidence in the Portland Police Department must be reaffirmed,” Gray added.

The city manager expressed confidence in Chitwood’s commitment to addressing the department’s problems, but Geraghty said she will withhold judgment pending an outside assessment.

An improvement plan developed by police includes expanded training in areas prone to liability, development of a foot-pursuit policy and installation of video cameras in some cruisers.

Under the plan, commanders would review all arrests, use of force and cases in which prosecutors drop charges, to determine whether any officer’s behavior warrants scrutiny.

Chitwood said the invitation to the federal government is essential for the department to regain public trust. He also expressed support for the six-member citizen review panel authorized but not yet appointed by the City Council.

Noting that it will take time to change behavior and attitudes, Chitwood said the administration will have to work closely with the department’s unions.

“Any organizational change must occur in a measured and incremental manner in order for it to be effective … to ensure changes are meaningful and long-lasting,” he said.

Geraghty said she has confidence in most officers, but believes recent liability claims against police point to a problem within the department.

“We do have a problem with, I believe, a small number of individuals who are working outside the system – and not only those individuals, but they have some sort of protection,” she said, suggesting that problem officers are not held accountable adequately.

She said the five excessive-force lawsuits filed against the department last year involve a dozen officers, so an outside review is essential.