Crime & Safety

Police: Violent Crime on Rise in Portsmouth

Drugs may be fueling the spike in armed robberies, assaults.

Portsmouth Police cannot say why the city is seeing a surge in violent crimes such as the latest crime that happened on Wednesday night at the Vaughn Mall where a by a male suspect who took her purse.

"It’s never really an easy answer," said Police Lt. Mike Maloney, the interim chief of the detectives division. "If somebody had to pinpoint a direct answer as to why we are seeing an increase, we probably would be able to solve a lot of them."

But Maloney said some of these crimes are definitely related to an increase in drug use. "We are seeing a resurgence of heroin in the city," he said.

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For example, following on Islington Street twice in October and November, the police investigation revealed that Burke was battling a heroin addiction.

"Portsmouth is a city and we do have the same problems that the larger cities have, not to the extent that they do," Maloney said.

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On Sunday night, police reported the by a male suspect, and that suspect is still at large.

Maloney said police have determined that male suspect and the one who assaulted the woman on Wednesday night at the Vaughn Mall are different people.

Also last weekend, Portsmouth Police assisted Newington Police with the arrest of another male suspect who robbed the TD Bank on Woodbury Avenue at gunpoint on Saturday. And on Dec. 14, James Perry, 36, of Portsmouth allegedly tried to parking lot at gunpoint. He was later arrested in January.

When the city starts to see more violent crimes where perpetrators are robbing businesses like the Tedeschi Food Shop on Sunday or individuals such as the woman who was assaulted on Wednesday night at gunpoint, Maloney said those cases become top priority.

On Wednesday night, Maloney said the female victim "was actually struck in the head several times during the assault and she was shaken up quite a bit. It’s safe to say she was traumatized.”

He said several Portsmouth Police detectives were working on the Vaughn Mall assault case on Wednesday night and they are still working on it today.

Maloney said police will release a composite sketch of the male suspect sometime on Thursday and any surveillance video that may have been captured in the area.

He acknowledges that police have seen their share of incidents in the Vaughn Mall pedestrian area since last summer, beginning with the of Peabody, Mass., in July by four Portsmouth people, who were all subsequently arrested and are awaiting prosecution in Rockingham County Superior Court.

"It’s always been a hot spot, even before The Page (restaurant and sports bar)  was there when it was Bananas (restaurant)," Maloney said.

He said the Vaughn Mall is an easy cut through for pedestrian traffic from Hanover to Congress streets. But this latest incident doesn't reflect badly on the area, he added.

Maloney said police don't want the public to alter anything they would normally do if they choose to spend time in the downtown area after dark. But given these two latest violent crimes, he said, “It actually serves people well to be aware of their surroundings at all times.”

He recommended that people walk in pairs and always carry a cell phone.


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