Portsmouth Police Busy With Wandering, Warrants, and Public Nudity Complaints
Portsmouth police spent much of the morning responding to a string of unusual calls involving people reportedly under the influence, possible overdoses, public nudity complaints, and a wanted woman found in a backyard.
🏡 WOMAN FOUND LYING IN YARD
The first call came just after 6:30 a.m. when officers were dispatched to the area of 25th Street and Grandview Avenue for a report of a woman lying in someone’s yard.
Concerned passersby told police the woman appeared intoxicated.
When officers made contact, the woman said she had recently been released from Southern Ohio Medical Center following a car accident and was waiting for a ride.
🚶♀️ WANDERING THROUGH YARDS
About 30 minutes later, a Micklethwaite Road resident called police to report a woman wandering through yards and attempting to sit on furniture on private property.
The caller said her husband had asked the woman to leave.
According to the report, the woman was wearing a strapless top and loose-fitting jeans that were repeatedly falling down, exposing parts of her body.
Just five minutes later, another caller reported the same woman was now lying in a yard in the 2300 block of Micklethwaite Road.
Rather than making an arrest, a Portsmouth officer transported the woman to a relative’s home on 7th Street, where family members agreed to look after her.
🚔 WARRANT FOUND IN BACKYARD COMPLAINT
Later, officers responded to Thomas Avenue after a resident reported people appearing to overdose in her backyard and refusing to leave her children alone.
An officer stopped while en route to another call to check on the situation.
During the investigation, police discovered one of the women had an active warrant for criminal trespass.
She was taken into custody and booked into the Scioto County Jail.
Court records show she later appeared in Portsmouth Municipal Court and was released on her own recognizance with a hearing scheduled for July 21.
🚪 MAN REPORTEDLY TRYING DOOR HANDLES
Police were also called to the area of 2nd and Court Streets after reports of a man trying door handles.
When officers located him, they believed he was under the influence of drugs.
Fortunately, the man’s mother arrived on scene and agreed to take him for treatment.
According to the report, she works for a local rehabilitation facility and said she would make sure he received help.
👕 MAN STRIPS DOWN IN APARTMENT HALLWAY
The morning’s final unusual call came from a 5th Street apartment building.
Residents reported a man on the fourth floor was removing his clothing in the hallway and making other tenants uncomfortable.
When officers arrived, they believed the man may have been suffering from a drug overdose or medical emergency.
Police ultimately took him into custody and booked him into the Scioto County Jail.
⚠️ A SNAPSHOT OF A LARGER PROBLEM
While none of the incidents were directly connected, together they paint a picture of the challenges Portsmouth officers face daily.
Calls involving addiction, mental health struggles, homelessness, public intoxication, and erratic behavior routinely consume significant law enforcement resources.
On this particular morning, officers responded to all of the above before many residents had even finished breakfast.