Portsmouth police spent a long, blustery night chasing alarms across the city—many of them likely triggered by strong winds, loose doors, and flying debris.
From just after midnight through mid-morning, officers with the Portsmouth Police Department responded to a steady stream of calls, checking doors, securing buildings, and even helping get medical care when an alarm led to a much bigger concern.
Here’s how the night unfolded:
Midnight: Brew Pub Door Found Unsecured
Just after midnight, officers were called to the Brew Pub for an alarm reporting an unsecured front door. The alarm company was unable to reach anyone from the business. An officer checked the building, found no one inside, and resecured the door.
2:40 a.m.: Wind Blamed at New Boston Business
At 2:40 a.m., Portsmouth officers assisted New Boston Police Department at a business alarm. Officers determined that plywood had likely been blown over by the wind. No one was inside and nothing appeared disturbed. Officer Messer resecured the plywood as best he could.
4:00 a.m.: Sunset Bowling Lanes Alarm
Around 4 a.m., police responded to an alarm at Sunset Bowling Lanes. Officers found a rear entrance door unlocked, but the secondary door leading into the bowling alley was locked and secure.
4:20 a.m.: Fields Court Rescue Alarm
Twenty minutes later, officers checked a rescue alarm at a Fields Court residence. Everything appeared secure, and no emergency was found.
6:16 a.m.: Mortuary Alarm Check
At 6:16 a.m., officers responded to an alarm at Daehler Mortuary. After checking the property, police found everything secure.
7:00 a.m.: Dash Thru Alarm Was an Accident
Around 7 a.m., officers were dispatched to the Dash Thru for a general alarm. They learned an employee had accidentally triggered it.
8:30 a.m.: Alarm Leads to Medical Emergency
At 8:30 a.m., police responded to a back door alarm at a Highland Avenue residence. While checking the home, officers became concerned the homeowner might be suffering a stroke. EMS was called, and the woman was transported to the hospital. Officers later learned the alarm itself appeared to have been accidentally set.
9:50 a.m.: Hospital Call Sparks Welfare Check
Just before 10 a.m., a woman called police from her hospital bed in Columbus, worried her husband may have fallen at home because she couldn’t reach him by phone. Officers checked the residence and found the man was fine—he was simply having phone trouble.
A Night of Prevention, Not Crime
While no break-ins were discovered, the calls highlight how officers spend many overnight hours responding to alarms, checking on residents, and making sure small problems don’t turn into big ones—especially when wind and weather keep setting things off.
It was a busy shift, but one where vigilance and quick checks made all the difference.