Residents along Sunrise Avenue were on edge around 12:30 p.m. after reporting a suspicious man in a black hat walking through the neighborhood, peering into cars and homes.
Minutes later, another call came in saying the same man was walking down the middle of U.S. 23 North, talking to himself. When Portsmouth Police located the man, they determined he was showing signs of mental health issues but was not violating any laws and appeared able to care for himself.
Officers advised him to head inside and avoid disturbing others, but made it clear that strange behavior alone isn’t grounds for arrest.
Just a short time later, at 2 p.m., employees at Highland Head Start called police with concerns about another individual loitering in their parking lot. While the man hadn’t broken any laws, staff reported that he was acting oddly and making them uneasy. Officers documented the incident and filed a report.
🚨 When Strange Isn’t Criminal
It’s important to understand that odd or eccentric behavior—even if unsettling—doesn’t always equal a crime. Police officers must operate under the law, which means unless a person is:
- Committing a crime
- A threat to others
- Unable to care for themselves due to a mental or physical condition
…they cannot be detained or forced to leave.
This can be frustrating for concerned citizens, especially in neighborhoods where mental health and homelessness issues are growing concerns. But officers must balance public safety with civil rights, and “acting weird” simply isn’t illegal.
As Portsmouth City Council considers forming a homeless taskforce to address the city’s nine known homeless camps, residents may see more individuals living with mental illness or addiction out in public. The goal is to connect these individuals with the support services they need—before behavior escalates into a true emergency.
