Campbell Avenue residents complained that homeless people were setting up camp at a building at 6th and Campbell.
Residents said the city had just condemned the building. When officers looked into the matter, they learned that code enforcement had given the campers until 4 pm to gather all their belongings and leave. Officers informed the residents and told them to call back if the campers didn’t leave.
At 2 pm, a Harrison Street caller reported two people in back of a condemned building who were working on a truck.
When officers spoke to the men, they said they were cutting the grass and planned to remove their vehicle. Police told them to finish cutting the grass but warned them they’d need a special permit to work on the house.
Homeless Out-of-Towner Camps Out in York Park
Portsmouth Police started off their day warning homeless campers away from recreational areas. Just after 8 am, officers found a man sleeping near a tree in York Park.
He told officers he was from Oklahoma and homeless. Police warned him against sleeping in Portsmouth parks, and he agreed to move along.
Officers also spoke to some individuals who were sleeping in a car on River Road to move along as overnight vehicle camping isn’t allowed.
