There are approximately 800,000 children reported missing annually; this translates to approximately 2,200 children daily. The goal of the Point Russell Sheriff Department is to locate any missing child reported to this agency or any other agency and to equip parents with the right information to protect their children.
Parents and guardians are able to assist with this goal by keeping a current photo on hand and maintaining personal details of a child that might be key identifiers in the case that this unfortunate situation occurs. There are also resources below to assist parents and guardians with the safety of their child.
If you have any questions concerning the safety of your child or a child in your custody and would like resources to educate yourself, please contact Officer Jennifer Stone by phone or by email.
For more information on missing and exploited children please visit, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website.
Other Resources
Child Safety Guide
National Runaway Switchboard
Child Safety Network
In motor vehicle crashes, 9 out of 10 child safety seats are installed incorrectly. Child Safety Seats when installed correctly can reduce injury or death of a child by 71%. The Point Russell Sheriff's Department has partnered with Safe Kids USA to educate operators of motor vehicles on the correct way to transport children in a motor vehicle.
Our department has two certified child passenger safety seat technicians that can assist with answering questions about child passenger safety and also to assist with properly installing a child safety seat. These officers attended a five (5) day child safety seat technician training to become certified. A CPS technician has to re-certify every two years. To maintain their certification, the technician needs to be up to date on child safety seat changes, updates, and recalls. The technician does this by attending training and events that provide further education as these standards and requirements change. If you have requests for assistance with child safety seat questions or installation issues you may call and arrange an appointment with the department.
Resources
Car Seat Installation Tips and Tricks
Safety Seat Recalls
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Engaging our community in public safety efforts is a top priority of the Point Russell Sheriff's Department. Police officers and community members come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships, and drink coffee. One of the keys to Coffee with a Cop’s success is that is removes the physical barriers that routinely exist between police officers and community members, allowing for the relaxed, one-on-one interactions which are the necessary foundation of partnerships. Informal contact in a friendly atmosphere increases trust between officers and the members of our community which is critical to public safety and problem solving. Please consider joining us at our next event.
View the Coffee with a Cop Calendar
Graffiti is not art...its a crime. State law classifies graffiti as criminal mischief and graffiti costs hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. If there is rampant graffiti in a community, it tends to lower property values and hinders responsible buyers from investing in the community.
Five types of Graffiti
- Latrinalia – Writing on the bathroom wall, including comments, signatures and political / social comments.
- Folk Epigraphy – Political / social writings in response to emergency situations or political legislation.
- Tagging – This work is comprised of both adults and youths that refer to them as "taggers". They gain "fame" and status from other taggers by painting their "tags" in as many places as possible.
- Gang Graffiti – Done by gangs to mark territories and boundaries.
- Hate / Satanic Graffiti – used to shock or recruit members or followers.
Tagger Graffiti is the majority of what we experience in the City. A tagger adopts a tag and then writes or paints it on private and public property. Tagger writing usually resembles handwriting and is sometimes so stylized that it is difficult to read. Letters are commonly intertwined and cartoon-type drawings often accompany a tag. Tagger graffiti can be territorial, but that is often not the case as taggers feel they are spreading their art and seek recognition among their peers. Taggers sometimes tag as part of a group or a "crew". Most crew graffiti shows the crew name and the tag crew. A tag crew can be identified by the initials scrawled somewhere in the tag. There are usually three initials, but sometimes two or four.
Thrill seeking is another motivating factor for some taggers. Taggers often damage property quite simply for the thrill of overcoming the fear of getting caught and, in some cases, the fear of high places. Although it sounds odd to most adults, it can be a very strong motivator for taggers, most of whom are under 18. Graffiti sends a message that nobody cares and attracts other forms of crime to a neighborhood. The appearance of graffiti heightens resident fear and is often perceived as a sign that the downward spiral has begun, even though this may not be true
Graffiti Prevention Tips for Homeowners
Keep up appearances; make every effort to keep the appearance of your residence clean and neat, an exterior appearance that suggests apathy and neglect attracts vandals. Litter, graffiti, broken fences, overgrown landscape and poor lighting all send a message to taggers that property owners are not attentive or do not care.
Rapid removal of graffiti is the best way for homeowners to protect and preserve the image of their neighborhood. Studies show that removal within 24 to 48 hours' results in a nearly zero rate of reoccurrence. Also work with the City to ensure that graffiti is removed rapidly from public areas and businesses near your residence.
Build in prevention:
- Incorporate shrubs, thorny plants, and vines to restrict tagger access to residence walls, fences, sheds, garages and other graffiti targets.
- Add or improve lighting around your property. Ask the city to install lighting in neighborhood areas that are dark and often hit with graffiti.
- For condo owners and apartment renters, work with residential property managers to incorporate graffiti prevention into building security.
- Work with neighbors and law enforcement
- Organize a neighborhood crime watch to help the police keep tabs on criminal activity in your neighborhood.
- Ask the police department to step up security in your neighborhood, especially if there are alleys, unlit areas, vacant properties, or other graffiti targets near your residence.
What should a homeowner do if their property is hit with graffiti?
Report: Contact the Sheriff's department to report the vandalism. Make sure to complete an incident report, a common requirement of insurance companies.
Identify: Work with the South Portland Police department to identify taggers or gangs doing the graffiti.
Document: Take a picture of the graffiti before it is removed. Photographs will assist the South Portland Police department in their investigation.
Remove: Remove graffiti promptly and completely.
How should a homeowner remove the graffiti?
Paint out: On painted surfaces, painting over graffiti is a low-cost removal method. Be sure to color match the paint to the surface or completely cover the surface. A patchwork of paint or a large block of different color paint is an ideal canvas and will invite more graffiti.
Chemical removal: This method employs some type of solvent to remove graffiti
Power washing: This removes graffiti by applying water, usually hot, under pressure.
The information listed on this website will assist with formulating a unified community policing approach to preventing/reducing graffiti in the City of Point Russell.