Portland to Mark National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Amid Ongoing Concerns Over Public Safety and Quality of Life

PORTLAND, Maine — The Portland Police Department and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office will commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week with a press conference and community gathering focused on resources available to victims of crime in southern Maine.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Portland City Hall in the State of Maine Room. It is open exclusively to those working in victim services and members of the media.

The observance comes as many Portland residents remain increasingly concerned about the state of the city, including recent open-air drug use and dealing, homelessness, begging on medians and in bus shelters, and trash scattered across the city streets. Against that backdrop, city and county officials say the week is meant to recognize crime victims, connect survivors with resources, and reaffirm support for those navigating the aftermath of trauma.

According to the announcement, attendees will have the opportunity to connect with advocates, hear from city leaders, and listen as survivors share their experiences. Victim advocates from both agencies have also compiled a comprehensive resource guide intended to support survivors as they navigate complex systems following trauma.

“National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is an opportunity to recognize the strength of those impacted by crime and to reaffirm our unwavering support for them,” said Portland Police Chief Mark Dubois. “We are committed to ensuring every victim is treated with compassion, respect, and dignity, and that they have a voice throughout the justice process. Supporting victims is not just part of our mission, it is at the heart of what we do.”

This year’s theme, crafted by victim advocates, is “Strength Through Community.” Organizers said the theme is intended to reflect how shared humanity can help create vital connections to services, rights, and healing. They said victim advocacy begins through empathy, connection, and support, and that the annual observance serves as a reminder that every effort to support a survivor can play a role in recovery.

Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris said victims do not choose the circumstances that pull them into the criminal justice system and emphasized the role community partners play in helping them regain stability and a sense of control.

“No one asks to be the victim of a crime. Crime victims have no choice in becoming someone caught up in an act of criminal conduct or participating in a system they never wanted to get to know,” Sartoris said. “The work our community partners do is to help empower victims to at least choose how they participate in the criminal legal system, to support them as they recover their equilibrium, and to remind them that their experience is not their fault. We are so grateful for the work our partners do in meeting victims where they are and lifting them up, every day.”

For more information, the public may contact Suna Shaw, Victim Witness Advocate Coordinator at the Portland Police Department, at 207-874-8519 or [email protected]. They may also contact Carly St. Pierre at the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office at 207-871-8384 or [email protected].

To learn more about supporting victims of crime, officials directed the public to the Office for Victims of Crime website. To report a crime in Maine, call 911. Survivors of domestic violence may contact Through These Doors at 1-800-537-6066, while survivors of sexual assault may contact Sexual Assault Services of Southern Maine at 1-800-871-7741.