A worried family turned to Portsmouth police for help after going more than a month without hearing from a missing relative.
According to the report, family members contacted Portsmouth police and asked officers to check a local homeless shelter where their son was known to stay.
The family told police they had not spoken with him since May 9 and that he had been missing for approximately 30 days.
They also expressed concerns about his well-being due to ongoing personal issues and wanted officers to determine whether he was safe.
🚨 LAST KNOWN LOCATION
Officers responded to the homeless shelter and spoke with several residents.
According to the report, shelter residents told police the man had left the facility about a week earlier.
However, they also reported that he had briefly returned that same day before leaving again.
Police were unable to make direct contact with him.
👀 RESIDENTS ASKED TO HELP
Officers advised shelter residents to contact dispatch if the man returned so police could conduct a welfare check and notify his family that he was safe.
No evidence of foul play was reported.
⚖️ MISSING DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN ENDANGERED
Cases like this can be particularly challenging for families and law enforcement.
Adults generally have the legal right to leave, travel, or cut off contact with family members if they choose.
At the same time, loved ones are often left wondering whether the person is safe, especially when homelessness, mental health struggles, addiction, or other personal challenges are involved.
For police, the goal in many of these cases is simply to make contact and verify the person is alive and not in danger.
💔 A HARD MONTH FOR THE FAMILY
While officers were unable to locate the missing man, they were able to confirm he had been seen recently.
For a family that hadn’t heard from him in more than 30 days, even that small piece of information provided some indication that he was still moving around the area.
Now they wait for the next sighting—and hopefully a chance to reconnect.
