Deering Oaks smash-up!

Those of you who were wondering what the upside-down car in Deering Oaks on that foggy night the other week was all about, here's the scoop!

Driver Flips Car into Deering Oaks Park After Reckless Ride
Tuesday, March 31, 3009

Portland police arrested Ahmed Ibrahim, 24, a Parkside resident, at around midnight on March 27th, after they say he hit four parked cars and a house - on different streets - while driving around his home turf. Police say Ibrahim also ran a red light, and he has no driver’s license.

After hitting each car, police say, Ibrahim kept going and didn’t stop until taking a turn that was too wide at the intersection of State Street and Park Avenue, which caused his car to flip and then catch on fire on the grass at the front of Deering Oaks Park. Ibrahim was transported to Maine Medical Center, but had no serious injuries.

Parkside residents reported hearing a very loud acceleration of a car motor, followed by the sound of impact, almost immediately followed by sirens, which led them to speculate that it was a high-speed car pursuit that ended quickly.

Charges are pending, since the case is still under investigation.

-Marge Niblock and Michelle Souliere contributed to this report.

[Source]

I found mention of it on the WCSH-TV6 site as well (click here to read), once we had a name for the fellow.

Also on the WCSH site, Kellyanne2 posted about her run-in with the perpetrator: "I almost got hit by this guy! I was seconds away from parking right where he ran into, taking a street sign along with him. I had to push on my gas pedal and burn out, with him coming up behind me, until I, myself had to run a red light to get away from him as I went straight into the ice arena parking lot when he turned right and seconds later he found himself upside down on Park Ave! It was the craziest thing I've ever seen!! I was shaking for a long time afterwards."

BREAKING NEWS: Whistler Confronted by Locals

At about 7:40pm this evening, Parkside residents heard the now-familiar signal of one of the Whistlers, and this time they responded in person. Locals at the corner of State Street and Sherman Street started verbally accosting the woman, yelling that they didn't want any whores on the streets here. A shouting match ensued, and the woman claimed she was whistling to call someone. The male she purported to be calling with her whistle appeared to be the same Hispanic male that was whistling outside the Parkside Neighborhood Association meeting this past Thursday.

At first he denied knowing her, but when she decided to claim he was her husband, he stood by her and began threatening the neighborhood residents who had turned out of their homes to lend support to the effort. Nearing the end of the confrontation, he yelled at the gathered people a loaded threat: "I know where you live! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!!!" Photos taken on the scene as it happened. Portland Police sent a car to followup almost immediately.

I Hear That Whistle Comin'...

Well, it's just after 2:00am and the Parkside Whistlers are back in full swing. Off and on, all night long tonight, their song has pierced the night air. The first time I heard it was just after 8:00pm when, ironically, the piercing notes made their way into the Parkside Neighborhood Association meeting held this evening, during which this and other issues were discussed. One local resident observed that one of the Whistlers this time appears to be a Hispanic male, who has been identified by some residents as the same one who accompanied the original Whistler and her female teammate. This same male approached another resident and offered to sell him drugs.

While Channel 13 sent a cameraman to the meeting, and Channel 6 News reported on it, no one bothered to mention that the peculiar problem of the Whistlers had started up again. I heard them at 9:50pm, 11:00pm, 11:15pm, and then into the morning I have been woken up by them at 1:20am, 1:40am, and 2:00am. They seem to be sticking mostly to the Mellen Street end of Sherman and especially Grant Street, if I'm hearing their direction correctly.

So, once again, if you hear them, please do help the police track their location by calling PPD Dispatch (207)874-8575. Although activity elsewhere in the city may prevent a lightning-fast arrival, they have been doing their utmost to respond as fast as possible, often doing so immediately. We are their eyes and ears on the ground. Take photos if it is safe to do so, but DO NOT take unnecessary risks. If you notice suspicious activity in your area, please e-mail neighborhood police liaison Michelle Lauture at lauturem@portlandmaine.gov, or fill out an online anonymous tip form. The Parkside Community Policing Center is at 85 Grant Street. Their phone number is (207)756-8137.

Thank you to the folks in blue for their continuing efforts, especially in light of the recent budget cuts to their resources.

For original coverage of the Whistlers, see our posts elsewhere on the blog, and also check out Bill Nemitz's Press Herald article about the events.

Police clipart from http://oceanwisher.tripod.com/police.html

Return of the Whistler

The night of Saturday, July 12th, was a wretched one for many Parkside residents in Portland. Beyond the unbearably sweltering weather, a singular annoyance was added -- the Whistler. It was too hot to comfortably close windows, and the whistling was too piercing to ignore. Last night the neighborhood waited uncomfortably, comparing notes from house to house, neighbor to neighbor, about suspicious neighborhood activity. But the Whistler stayed away.

BUT NOT TONIGHT!!! Oh no, ladies and gentlemen, tonight she was back in full swing, and forewarned, everyone paid more attention this time. It was quickly discovered by observation that there were two whistlers, apparently signaling back and forth to each other, a blonde (see photo) and a woman with darker hair, who was often in the company of a somewhat short Hispanic male.

Initial efforts managed to alert the police to their presence, and the blonde was stopped and questioned by the police at the corner of Mellen Street and Sherman Street. Unfortunately, due to the fact that they could not prove any wrongdoing (I'm not sure why disturbing the peace doesn't qualify), they had to let her go with a warning. Officers David Mulry and Brad Rogers encouraged neighbors to continue to call in to the Portland Police Department's dispatch number to alert the force to the whereabouts of the miscreants. That number, for those of you who would like to join in assisting, is 874-8575.

The apparent activity (in case you think it's just about the whistling -- it's not!) is, as near as we in the neighborhood can figure, a signalling system for prostitution and drug-based relay transactions.

Tonight after she had departed from the police's company, stayed quiet again for a while, and then returned to her ear-piercing activity about an hour later. An enterprising neighbor took the opportunity to take her photo (see right, click on photo to view larger version). So if you see her around -- BEWARE, and feel free to call the police if she is making her rounds.

The woman's description is as follows, with some allowance for difference due to the dark nighttime conditions:

Height: around 5 foot 6 inches, possibly on the shorter side of that measurement

Hair: blonde, long, pulled back in a ponytail

Wearing: jeans, long and slightly flared at the bottom, brown tank top

Overall: Caucasian (white), mid-twenties to mid-thirties in age, unsteady walk, tattoos across tops of breasts and around left arm

UPDATE: Bill Nemitz has done an article about the events, click here to read. The West End News continues to print updates, including the most recent round of whistling and the resultant stings. On the latest spate of annoyances:

Monday, August 4, 2008
Parkside Gets 5AM Whistling Wakeup Call

Parkside residents were awakened at 5AM on Saturday morning, August 2nd by the Parkside Whistler, who has plagued the neighborhood for three week. Residents first reported that an unidentified woman roamed the area of State Street between Grant and Sherman on the night of July 12th, keeping residents awake with her whistling. And two nights later, the woman was reportedly joined by another woman and possibly others.

Residents of the Parkside neighborhood are considering the reinstitution of the Parkside Crime Watch to deal with what they say is an upsurge in prostitution and drug-related activity in the neighborhood. Police have been doubling up patrol in Parkside according to Parkside Neighborhood Association President Diane Edwards. Prostitution stings have been carried out and drug-related evictions have occurred in two houses, according to Edwards.

About 30 Parkside residents met with Parkside State Representative Herb Adams, West End City Councilor David Marshall, and police officials to discuss possible solutions. The issue will be a topic of discussion at the next Parkside Neighborhood Association meeting on August 14th.Source]

On the stings:

Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Eight Arrested in Parkside Sting

Portland police officer Amie Lynn Rapa, working undercover on July 30th, arrested eight men who were charged with
engaging a prostitute in the Parkside neighborhood, where residents have voiced complaints to police about prostitution
The men’s ages ranged from 22 to 75, and all were from the Portland area.

Day Directed Patrol, under the command of Lieutenant William Preis, conducted the sting operation in the neighborhood. The
arrests were made between the hours of 11:30 AM and 3:30 PM.

“Business was brisk,” said Preis.

The issue will be a topic of discussion at the next Parkside Neighborhood Association meeting on August 14th.
-Marge Niblock
[Source]

Whistler plagues Parkside

Last night, starting as early as about 8:00pm, a woman wandered up and down State Street around the Sherman Street and Grant Street block, and further, whistling a piercing note, much to the annoyance of the neighborhood. Every now and then residents wouldn't hear her for a while, and all hoped that she had finally quit her racket. However, each time, this was not the case.

In a method not unlike Chinese Water Torture, this shrill and un-ignorable presence reared its noisy head hour by hour, sometimes more often, and found locals calling the police for assistance repeatedly, to no avail. As late (or rather early) as 3:00 in the morning, if you can believe it, this was continuing, at which point Portland Police Dispatch replied to this caller that, "Things seem to be quieting down in the rest of downtown -- they have been extremely busy tonight. They should be able to finally get someone over there shortly. We'll see what we can do."

After 3:00am the woman seemed to give up (either that or the police finally caught up with her, or I finally passed out from sheer exhaustion), a full 7 hours after she started her spree. We'll see if she shows up again tonight.

IF SHE DOES come back, and you would rather get some sleep: Please call in a noise complaint to the Portland Police Department. Their non-emergency number is (207)874-8479. I'm pretty sure she's violating the local noise decibel limit ordinance, not to mention the basic right to an environment where one should at least get some sleep in the middle of the night, i.e., she is most definitely disturbing the peace.

The woman's description from last night is as follows, with some allowance for difference due to the dark nighttime conditions:

Height: around 5 foot 6 inches, possibly on the shorter side of that measurement

Hair: appears to be dark blonde, long, and pulled back

Wearing: jeans, flared at the bottom, brown tank top

Overall: Caucasian (white), mid-twenties to mid-thirties in age

Various theories of what she was trying to accomplish that have been heard are:

That she is stark raving mad

That she is a hooker that has come up with the most annoying way of attracting customers ever developed in the history of mankind

That she is looking for a lost pet that she desperately wants to find

All I know is, folks around these parts want to get some sleep tonight, and if they don't, things may get pretty nasty in the ol' Parkside neighborhood.

Where's the Monkey?!

Our last photo was of the installation of cobblestones on Cross Street in Portland, where they remain to this very day, one of the few streets in Portland's Old Port area that has not been paved over with asphalt. Here is another photo, courtesy of Abraham Schechter, who runs the Portland Public Library's Portland Room.

This time our photo is of another downtown Portland street, this time in the Parkside neighborhood, taken in 1942, the year in which German U-boats of WWII began harassing shipping boats on our East Coast. Click on the photo for a larger version to inspect details.

That's a great crowd of little kids! Look at the outfits and hats (again!)... they don't seem to mind that the hurdy gurdy man doesn't have a monkey.

Breaking News: Sherman St. Smash and Grab

Sherman Street has been improving slowly but surely as a Portland neighborhood over the last decade or so, but it still has its run-ins with crime. Over the last month or so, there have been 3 car break-ins, including perhaps the most ludicrous one of all: one car had its window smashed in and nothing was stolen but a SHOVEL. Only in Maine... As a clincher, the car wasn't even locked when the window was broken by the thief.

The most recent of the smash-and-grabs occurred a little bit before 3:00pm this afternoon. Local crime watchers were alert, though, and the three suspects who perpetrated it were quickly apprehended by Portland Police, who responded in a rapid and professional fashion.

Please note that these arrests occurred because of a couple of regular folks saw something suspicious happening and acted upon it quickly. If we all pay attention to what's going on in our neighborhoods, there's a good chance that a lot of the petty crime can be eliminated. These guys are not rocket scientists. The crime was performed in broad daylight, and with no subtlety whatsoever.

One suspect stood lookout on the corner of the street. The other two moved back and forth along the sidewalk, trying car doors and looking in car windows for a few minutes before picking their victim's car. All three wore hoods to hide their faces. They took their time leaving the scene, which was only a handful of houses away from the address on Sherman Street that they returned to after the crime.

If you see something happening, call 911. The next time, it could be your car.