Outgoing Portland Police Chief James Craig at a press conference this morning announcing that he has accepted the position of Police Chief for Cincinnati. Note the hat!

Craig said he was proud of the relationship between the police force and civilians. He also suggested that his replacement come from within the force.

Maybe this is why Portland is such a safe town: our police officers are comfortable tapping into their creative side. On Wednesday, the Portland Police Department will release its 2009 calendar filled with "poetry and photography...produced by police officers, detectives, local poets and photographers and tells the story of life and work within the Portland Police Department.

In the latest edition of the Portland Phoenix, which is on the streets now, we tell you about a hate crime that happened at 12:30 am on Saturday morning on Cumberland Avenue. (I'll post the link shortly.)

The Portland police held a press conference this morning on the matter, giving official commentary that will trigger reports in the other local media.

There could be an extra price to pay for Mainers who drive drunk over Labor Day weekend. Yes, we know it's always a bad idea, and it comes with various fines and jail or prison time. But this year, the Maine State Police and the Maine Beverage Company (the private company contracted to operate the state's liquor monopoly) will have video crews in police cars to film arrests - footage that will then be used in TV ads to discourage drunk driving.