WATERVILLE — City police have charged a 17-year-old Winslow boy on criminal mischief charges for allegedly “tagging” businesses downtown.

Deputy Police Chief Charles Rumsey said tagging is a form of graffiti in which someone uses spray paint to illustrate a symbol or street name that represents the tagger.

Rumsey said a dozen or more business have been hit with the tags in recent days.

Businesses that were targeted include Joseph’s Market on Front Street, the Asian Dragon restaurant on Temple Street and the Resurrection Life Church on Appleton Street.