AUGUSTA, Maine — Crews began cleaning the Maine Law Enforcement Officers Memorial outside of the Maine State House in Augusta on Thursday.
The memorial, which honors 88 law enforcement officers from various agencies who were killed in the line of duty, was vandalized over the weekend and had been covered by a tarp since.
"I hope we can make it look like it never happened," Joe Dell'Aquila, owner of Magic Carpet Cleaning and Restoration, said.
Dell'Aquila and his company have been tasked with cleaning red paint from the memorial. Dell'Aquila also served as a member of the South Portland, and Portland Police departments for 30 years. It's expected to be a multi-day process, using baking soda and water, which Dell'Aquila says will avoid damaging the granite memorial.
"I've been here so many times as an officer, honoring these people. To do that, to them, it just makes no sense to me," Dell'Aquila said.
No arrests have been made connected to this case. Capitol Police Matt Clancy told NEWS CENTER Maine on Thursday. Maine State Police computer crimes, Kennebec County Sheriff's Office, and Augusta Police detectives are assisting in the investigation.
"They're pounding the pavement right now. Definitely a lot of good leads to follow up on, and I'm relatively confident we will get a resolution to this," Clancy said.
Law enforcement organizations are also offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest regarding the vandalism.
According to a Facebook post shared by the Maine Association of Police, the Maine Chiefs of Police Association and the Maine Sheriffs Association are offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.