Suicidal Man Found in Tracy Park After 7-Day Meth Binge

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Police in Portsmouth, Ohio responded to a call in Tracy Park late one night about a man expressing suicidal thoughts. The man told officers he had been using meth continuously for seven days and had come from the Akron area with nowhere to go. He agreed to accept help and was transported to the hospital for treatment, but the incident highlights the growing mental health and homelessness crisis in the city, with Tracy Park becoming a hub for such emergencies.

Why it matters

Tracy Park has increasingly become a flashpoint for mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness in Portsmouth, with police and emergency responders routinely dealing with issues like overdoses, public disturbances, and individuals in severe crisis. This case underscores the lack of long-term treatment options and resources available to address the root causes of these problems.

The details

Just after 10 p.m., officers were called to Tracy Park after reports of a man expressing suicidal thoughts. When police arrived, the man told them he had been using meth continuously for seven days and wasn't even from Scioto County, having come from the Akron area with nowhere to go. Alone, exhausted, high, and in crisis, the man agreed to accept help and was transported by medics to the hospital for treatment.

• Police responded to the call in Tracy Park just after 10 p.m.

What’s next

Hospitals can stabilize someone for a night, and police can transport them, but long-term treatment beds are scarce, shelters are overwhelmed, and many people are released right back onto the streets within hours or days — starting the cycle all over again. Until real, sustained mental health and addiction resources are put in place, scenes like this will continue to unfold in Tracy Park and across the city.