A familiar face to Portsmouth police was back in handcuffs this week after reports of bizarre behavior in Tracy Park.
Officers were called to the area of 9th and Chillicothe Streets around 2 p.m. after callers reported a man stumbling around the park.
According to dispatch notes, the caller said the man had removed his pants earlier before putting them back on and sitting on a bench near the intersection.
🚔 ARRESTED FOR DISORDERLY CONDUCT
When officers arrived, they took Austin Dunlap into custody and charged him with disorderly conduct.
The homeless man was booked into the Scioto County Jail.
⚖️ IN COURT, THEN BACK ON THE STREET
Dunlap later appeared in Portsmouth Municipal Court, where he pleaded guilty to the charge.
The court imposed a suspended fine and court costs before releasing him.
In other words, the arrest resulted in little jail time and Dunlap was quickly back on the streets.
🔄 A FAMILIAR CYCLE
This wasn’t Dunlap’s first recent encounter with police.
Court records show he was arrested for disorderly conduct on June 1.
He was also arrested for disorderly conduct on May 26.
In both cases, he was released shortly afterward.
Records also show a disorderly conduct arrest from roughly a year ago, when he was also listed as homeless.
🏠 THE REVOLVING DOOR PROBLEM
Dunlap’s repeated arrests highlight a challenge that has become increasingly familiar in Portsmouth.
Police respond to complaints.
An arrest is made.
The individual appears in court.
A fine is imposed or suspended.
Then the person returns to the same streets, often facing the same struggles that led to the arrest in the first place.
Whether the issue is homelessness, addiction, mental illness, or a combination of all three, officers frequently find themselves dealing with the same people over and over again.
👀 HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?
Based on court records and police reports, Dunlap has been listed as homeless for at least a year while repeatedly cycling through the criminal justice system on low-level offenses.
The latest arrest began with a call about a man acting erratically in Tracy Park.
It ended the same way several others have ended:
With a guilty plea, a suspended fine, and another return to the streets of Portsmouth.
