If you’ve been to the Portsmouth Public Library this week, you might’ve witnessed a familiar face hauled off in handcuffs. Police say Eric Froe, a man who’s become infamous for ignoring trespass bans, was once again arrested after showing up at a place he’s already been barred from.
But here’s the thing: this isn’t just one arrest, and it’s not just one man. What’s happening here is part of a bigger story about homelessness, mental health, and panhandling in Portsmouth.
📅 A Calendar Full of Arrests
Froe has been arrested so often, you could practically set your watch by it:
- 4 times in January for criminal trespass
- 1 time in April
- 2 times in June
- 1 open case from July
- And now, this week’s arrest at the library
That’s eight trespass cases in 2024 alone—and the year’s not over.
🛒 From Library Steps to Kroger Parking Lot
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve reported on him before. Despite being banned from Kroger’s property, Froe keeps coming back—panhandling outside, clashing with customers, and prompting call after call to police.
📞 In just four days last week, police were dispatched six separate times to deal with him. Same location. Same green shirt. Same routine.
📜 A Record as Thick as a Phone Book
And it doesn’t stop there. Froe has been in Portsmouth Municipal Court more than 40 times. His past charges read like a laundry list:
- Drug offenses
- Theft
- Assault
- Forgery
- Multiple trespassing arrests
While one 2002 robbery conviction was overturned, the rest of his record paints a troubling picture of a man cycling through the system with no real resolution.
🧩 The Bigger Picture: A City in Crisis
This isn’t just about one man in a green shirt. It’s about a community struggling to handle a growing homeless population with nowhere to go and no real treatment options.
Business owners at Kroger, Aldi, Speedway, and even the Scioto Ribber say they’ve seen a sharp rise in aggressive panhandling. Customers feel harassed, police are worn thin, and the cycle of arrest-and-release continues.
😡 What Neighbors Are Saying
Many residents say they’re at the end of their rope. One shopper told us:
“I don’t feel safe going to Kroger after dark anymore. It’s every week—sometimes every day.”
👉 The Bottom Line: Portsmouth’s “frequent flyers” in jail aren’t going away anytime soon. Until there are real investments in mental health care, shelter space, and addiction treatment, scenes like this will keep playing out on the streets.
⚖️ For now, Eric Froe sits in the Scioto County Jail—but history tells us it won’t be long before he’s back out again.
