The Maine Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Augusta was vandalized over Memorial Day weekend, according to a Monday statement from the Maine State Police and several law enforcement agencies.
Colonel William Ross of the Maine State Police issued a public statement regarding the vandalism Monday morning.
“It is disheartening to see the Maine Law Enforcement Memorial vandalized. Those responsible clearly have no idea what it means to serve and protect our citizens and visitors to Maine,” Colonel Ross said.
“Thankfully more people value those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice so others can live their lives peacefully. Thank you to all the Law Enforcement and other first responders working this Memorial Day!!!” He added.
The MSP have not issued any statements about the nature of the vandalism, nor have they shared pictures of what the vandals did.
However, one source who asked to remain anonymous said that the vandals spray painted the names of two Kennebec Sheriff’s Office deputies and one Maine State Trooper along with the word “corrupted.”
Chief of the Maine Capitol Police Matthew Clancy declined to share any additional information about the incident due to it being an ongoing investigation.
Clancy added that pictures of the vandalism and the police report regarding the incident may become available upon completion of the investigation and charges being filed.
The memorial, which is located next to the State House in Augusta, was dedicated on May 25, 1991 to Maine’s police officers who have died in the line of duty, and has the names of 12 fallen State Troopers engraved on the wall of the memorial.
State Rep. Scott Cyrway (R-Albion) said saw the vandalized memorial outside the State House and was personal friends with many of the fallen officers whose names are engraved on the memorial.
“Six or seven of those fallen officers I’ve been friends with,” Cyrway said. “These people you know, and they’re good people, and they were serving their country and state, and to be taken out like that, and then for somebody just to do what they did was just cruel.”
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Rep. Cyrway did not wish to share what was spray painted on the memorial until the Capitol Police release the findings of their investigation.
“It’s a sad state of affairs when someone does damage to our memorials like that,” Cyrway said.
“Our laws are getting weaker and weaker, and I think people are noticing that,” he said. “It’s just the mentality these days. They don’t respect law enforcement like they did, and they don’t respect the laws like they did.”
Cyrway noted that the relationship between the community and police has become strained by Maine’s lax laws and a reluctance in the criminal justice system to prosecute crime as part of a push for “restorative justice.”
