By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

“What do criminals look like?” South Portland Police Chief Edward Googins asked a crowd of residents last week.

A photo of Joseph Morrill, who was arrested in connection with a burglary on Spear Street earlier this month, was on the wall behind him. 

“They look like people who live in our community,” Googins said. 

Three weeks after South Portland’s “City Watch” – a reverse communication telephone system – was activated to warn more than 3,000 Pleasantdale residents of a recent burglary spree in the neighborhood, Googins, Det. Eric Jesseman and Officer Linda Barker invited residents to an informational meeting to address rising concerns in the community. Googins said there have been 20 successful burglaries – and four attempted – in the area surrounding the police station since January. 

“We know it’s alarming,” he said.

In addition to the burglaries, there have been 76 reports of motor vehicle vandalism and theft, as well as an armed robbery on July 14. Googins said police have already arrested and charged two men – 28-year-old Marc Webster of Portland and 32-year-old Jason Weymouth, a transient according to a press release from Lt. Frank Clark – for stealing cash while they held two victims at knifepoint in their Ocean Street apartment.

“Everyone involved with that robbery knew each other, and I can’t tell you that drugs were involved. Read between the lines,” Googins said. 

Jesseman said police have also arrested five adults and 15 juveniles suspected in eight of the 24 crimes and four other juveniles connected to numerous motor vehicle thefts and vandalisms – leaving eight open cases. 

“We also have new leads and we are following up on them,” he said. 

Googins said there was a direct link between the burglary spree and the escalating drug use in the city, and that detectives were working to stifle the problem on all levels. 

“The drug issue and the crime issue are connected at the hip,” he said. “We do have a drug issue here.” 

Even though South Portland has only a few undercover officers, Googins said they had seized a large amount of drugs and nearly $50,000 in drug money during the past three months. Two weeks ago, according to a press release from “Operation Crackdown,” lead Detective Sgt. Steve Webster, the city’s Special Reaction Team – formerly known as SWAT – arrested 47-year-old Sheryl Menard at an Ocean Street apartment, and she is currently charged with possessing drugs and drug related paraphernalia. 

“The [officers] out there night and day eat this stuff up,” Googins said. 

Jesseman said he did not believe any remaining criminals connected to the burglaries were acting as an organized group or a gang and were probably several groups or pairs of juveniles who lived in the immediate area. 

“I wouldn’t give them too much credit,” Googins said. 

Officers encouraged residents to form their own neighborhood watch, even though no new burglaries had been reported since July 1. 

“I’d like to say it has stopped, but we just haven’t had another [burglary,]” Googins said. 

Resident Patricia Blankenship said most of the neighbors had already formed an informal neighborhood watch and have kept a close eye on each other’s property since the burglary spree began, but she was unaware of any effort to form a more organized neighborhood watch.

“Every time I go for a walk I let people know what’s going on and make sure they’re aware,” she said. “At this time we’re not in a position to have a [formal neighborhood watch program], but that’s not to say we won’t in the future.”

Jesseman said the recent bout of arrests could put an end to burglaries in the Pleasantdale area, although detectives are beginning to see crime in other parts of the city. Googins said another “City Watch” alert could be issued to the Brick Hill and County Gardens area of the city in response to an alarming number of motor vehicle vandalisms in those areas.

“We don’t take this lightly,” he said. “As police, we learn to deal with crime. Would I take 10 more officers, of course; I would love 10 more officers. But people would still commit crimes.”

To communicate with police about these or any other crimes, contact police dispatchers at 767-4784 or to leave an anonymous tip call their tip line 347-4100. Always call 911 in an emergency.