Portsmouth Police Issue Camper Warning

The Portsmouth, Ohio Police Department issued a warning on Wednesday to remind citizens about the law concerning campers and travel trailers within the city limits. The department posted copies of the city ordinance 753.21 which lays out the rules for these types of vehicles on your property.

The law permits citizens to have only one camper/travel trailer on their property. The vehicle may be parked behind your residence or in the driveway. However, just because that vehicle is on your property, does not mean that someone can live it. The law specifically forbids allowing some to live in it:

The rules also forbid parking on other parts of your property.  People are not allowed to occupy trailers or RV on the premises of any home that is not an approved trailer park or campground.  Nearly every single day, Portsmouth Police respond to complaints about campers and trailers parked on private property and public streets around the city. Criminals also frequently use campers as locations for meth labs.

However, some citizens think enforcing the rules about campers is a waste of time.

One citizen said, “I have called the  Portsmouth PD several times regarding the homeless drug addicts living in the abandoned homes on Center Street. Portsmouth PD has yet to respond to this situation. The people living there have garbage everywhere. They light fires out back of the house, and have stolen from the facility I work for. The abandoned homes on Center Street need condemned and torn down. Yet your concerns about campers seem more important. I understand laws need to be enforced. Why don’t you start by enforcing the law to the vagrants on Center Street? Seems to me that you want to pick and choose what laws and ordinances are enforced.”

Another citizen said, “Would you rather have people homeless? What an oppressive piece of legislation.”