South Portland High School’s resource officer, Al Giusto, has written, produced and performed a song that is striking a chord with many people whose lives have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Hundreds of people saw his performance on the South Portland Police Department’s Facebook page Monday and began sharing Giusto’s rendition of “Disinfectant Blues,” a snappy blues tune with a message about social distancing, washing your hands and wearing face coverings.

“Be safe and be smart, stay at home and don’t fall apart, or go for a walk, or go for a run, find different ways to have some fun,” is one verse from the song.

In the Facebook recording, Giusto can been sitting in his cruiser while using a metal pick to strum his resonator, baritone guitar. A headline above the recording says, “This is what happens when you put the school resource officer back on patrol.”

Giusto joined the patrol team after South Portland schools closed buildings and implemented distance learning programs.

Giusti, who joined the South Portland Police Department in 2012, said the chief of police wanted to get a positive message out to the community during stressful times, so Giusti started putting his musical talents to work about a week ago.

Giusto said he wrote the lyrics in his cruiser last week, after one of his shifts ended. Giusti said he wanted to create a song that would lift peoples’ spirits.

“I think this (pandemic) has been really hard on people, but we have to be smart to make sure that there is not a second wave,” he said. “I’m was just trying to find a little light in the darkness.”


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