Portsmouth residents on High Street got a late-night shock when they spotted a suspicious car creeping down an alley just before 12:30 a.m. The vehicle appeared to be trying to drive into the nearby woods—but what officers found when they arrived paints a bigger picture of a growing problem in the city.
The driver wasn’t lost or up to no good. Instead, he was trying to drop off friends who are living in a tent on the hill. Officers advised him to move along, but this alarming encounter is just another sign of the homeless crisis gripping Portsmouth.
HOMELESS CAMPS TAKING OVER!
Portsmouth Code Enforcement Officer Andy Gedeon recently warned city leaders that there has been a dramatic increase in homeless camps—with at least NINE separate encampments now spread across the city.
These camps have raised serious concerns about:
Crime & Violence – Reports of attacks, drug activity, and stabbings
Filth & Waste – Hundreds of tons of trash and human waste piling up
Fires & Hazards – Encampments catching fire, creating dangerous conditions
City officials admit they don’t have an easy solution. Mayor Charlotte Gordon revealed that some residents are even renting out space in their yards for tents—leading to horrifying sanitation issues.
One example? People using five-gallon buckets as toilets and dumping the waste in alleys!
WHAT’S NEXT?
City Council members are hesitant to crack down on camps without first addressing homeless services. Some officials have suggested that Portsmouth may need to repeal its ban on new drug treatment centers to allow for more shelters and addiction services.
But as this latest High Street incident shows, the problem isn’t going away anytime soon. How long before another camp pops up in your neighborhood?
