Police were called to a Kent Street apartment complex twice in two days after reports of a homeless man causing problems from disturbing cleaning staff to allegedly hiding in bushes and peeking into windows.
At first, the case looked like a straightforward trespassing complaint. The man admitted he’d been “crashing” at his brother and girlfriend’s apartment, though he wasn’t on the lease. He said he wanted to return to Jackson, Ohio, if he could just get a ride. Officers explained that only listed tenants or approved guests can legally live in the units and warned him he had to leave by 6 p.m. or face trespassing charges.
But when officers were called back the next day, the reports escalated. A caller said the man was “playing with himself” behind bushes and looking into windows. Deputies tracked him down and discovered the story wasn’t what it first appeared.
The man had the mental capacity of a child, no family to care for him, and nowhere else to go. His brother was out of town, leaving him without support.
Instead of booking him into jail, officers contacted the Counseling Center, which agreed to provide a drop-in mental health assessment. Deputies personally gave him a ride there and explained to the tenants that he could not return to the property.
What began as troubling reports of misbehavior ended up highlighting the complicated reality officers face daily—where issues of homelessness, mental health, and lack of family support collide. In this case, Portsmouth officers were praised for choosing empathy and connecting the man to services rather than simply locking him up.