You’ll recall that earlier in the summer, Portsmouth Police Officers dealt with a flood of calls about homeless people setting up camp in Tracy Park and spreading trash all over the place along with reports of rampant drug use. There were even multiple incidents of individuals urinating on the war memorial.
In recent weeks, PPD has stepped up patrols in the park, and the number of incidents has plummeted. Overnight Monday to Tuesday, Officers checked the park six times and found it empty.
They did find one person in the park during a check just after midnight on Wednesday morning, but they called a cab for that individual.
When the checks first started, officers had to usher multiple individuals out of the park, but as the crackdown continued, fewer and fewer people set up camp in the park at night. From the police call logs, it also appears that the number of calls involving individuals causing issues at nearby businesses, stripping down, and harassing passersby for money has also declined.
The problem of individuals setting up camp in other places continues, along with the issues of violence, drug use, sanitation, and mental health issues accompanying it.