The Denver Police Department’s fallen officer memorial was vandalized overnight Sunday with red paint on the anniversary of a similar defacement last year.

Chief Robert White told reporters Monday morning that the culprit or culprits were “disturbed individuals.”

While no arrests have been made in the case, White said he is confident investigators will track down those responsible thanks to evidence already gathered. The memorial is under video surveillance, he said.

“I really felt sick,” White said of the vandalism. “That memorial really represents the men and women who have given their lives for this community. To deface it is just a dishonor.”

Mayor Michael Hancock said he was extremely saddened and angered “by this despicable act.”

“To show such utter disrespect for the people who have given their lives in the line of duty to protect ours is unconscionable,” Hancock said in a statement.

The city’s executive director of public safety, Stephanie O’Malley, called the vandalism “cruel, disrespectful and unlawful.”

The monument, outside the department’s headquarters, lists the names of the more than 70 city officers killed in the line of duty.

Technician Eranda Piyasena, a police spokesman, said investigators believe the vandalism happened between late Sunday and early Monday.

The paint had been washed away by mid-morning and the memorial was surrounded in metal gates.

Last year, protesters dumped red paint on the memorial during a demonstration. Two men were arrested on felony accusations in the case.

Police said they don’t know definitively if the two incidents were directly linked. Investigators are also unsure how many people are responsible for the latest defacement.

Dozens of supporters left flowers at the memorial after the February 2015 vandalism.

Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul