AUGUSTA (WGME)-- Work is underway to remove graffiti that defaced a memorial in Augusta for fallen law enforcement officers.
Under the cover of darkness, over Memorial Day weekend, someone vandalized the sacred memorial honoring the 88 Maine law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
"It was hard to see," Capitol Police Chief Matthew Clancy said.
A cleaning and restoration crew brought in specialized equipment and started to remove the graffiti spray-painted from one end of the memorial to the other.
"It's a lot of work," Joe Dell-Aquila from Magic Carpet Cleaning and Restoration said. "We're using baking soda. It's important to try not to etch the granite. So, we're starting off pretty soft."
Dell-Aquila, in charge of the restoration, is a former South Portland police officer.
"I think it's terrible. I was in law enforcement for 30 years." Dell-Aquila said. "It hits me there, too."
Clancy called those responsible mean-spirited and cowards. There is a $1,000 reward for information leading to their arrest and conviction.
"Each name that appears on the wall here was killed in the line of duty. And in a lot of cases, also military veterans," Clancy said.
The company blasting the spray paint with baking soda thought they'd be done in a day, but it's taking much longer than they thought.
"It's coming off. If you look...
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