In response to a spate of violent crime in the city, Portland’s police department will scale back on traffic details to add officers to regular patrols.
“The goal is to show a presence, to let the public understand we’re out there, we understand the importance and we understand that they are concerned about what they’re seeing in their community,” Interim Portland Police Chief F. Heath Gorham said Friday.
There have been seven shootings in the city so far this year resulting in two people being killed.
There have also been 17 stabbings reported so far in 2022 alone, a 31% increase over the number reported in the same period last year.
In the past week alone, Gorham said there have been five shootings.
“Really in the last week, we’ve had a real struggle,” Gorham said.
Incidents reported by Portland Police over the past week include:
On Friday, Sept. 2, at 6:45 p.m., a 911 caller reported hearing gunshots in the area of Springbrook Way, a residential area in the city’s Riverton neighborhood, not far from the Westbrook line. A witness at the scene reported more than one vehicle leaving the area shortly afterward.
On Saturday, Sept. 3, at around 3 a.m., officers returned to the same area to speak with a resident who claimed her window had been shot out. Police found shell casings and a bullet hole in a wall leading into a child’s bedroom. Police also discovered a 20-year-old Portland woman had fled to Westbrook after she said she was shot while sitting in a parked care in the area. She was taken to Maine Medical Center and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Police later arrested Abdilhamit Ali, 22, of Portland, and charged him with aggravated assault, reckless conduct with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and violation of conditions of release.
On Sunday, Sept. 4, at 6:45 p.m., Police arrested Gary Hanscom, 35, at his home at 240 Brighton Ave., and charged him with reckless conduct. A 911 caller had told police that Hanscom had fired a handgun on the street, then put the gun to his head before fleeing into his apartment building. Police recovered the gun without incident.
On Wednesday, Sept. 7, just after 6:30 p.m. a 31-year-old Portland man was shot and killed. Police later arrested Amin Awies Mohammed, 38, of Roxbury, Mass., and charged him with murder.
The increase in violent incidents comes as the police department struggles with staffing issues.
According to spokesperson David Singer, the department ideally would like to have 161 officers, but currently only have 136.
“When you look at a staff that’s 25 officers down, you see how impactful that is,” Gorham said.
Gorham said staffing is down due to retention issues. Many officers, he said, are leaving the force to take early retirement or to leave law enforcement entirely.
Before the pandemic, Gorham said, a recruiting drive by the department typically brought in about 300 applicants. The most recent drive, he said, only produced 89 applications.
“Public safety is an incredibly challenging profession,” Gorham said. “Our officers on the street are dealing with a sense of lawlessness. People who are willing to do things and say things to them that we’ve never seen before, and it’s adding stress.”
Portland Mayor Kate Snyder said she remained confident in public safety, especially in light of Gorham’s move to increase presence on the streets.
“I am fully in support of our police department,” she said.