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

UPDATE: Casco Bay Bridge/State Street activity

Last night we covered some police activity that occurred at the bottom of State Street and on the Casco Bay Bridge. This morning, we are no more informed than we were when we took our photos, with the exception of a note from a neighbor across the street from the activity, who wrote to us, "...Last Sunday my husband and I noticed there were two police cars out in front of the brick building on the corner of State St. and it looked like a domestic violence call to us. Now yesterday all that drama went down in the same building and the coroner's van was the last to leave the scene. I think something pretty sad must have happened."

None of the main news channels have picked up on the events, and neither has the Portland Press Herald. The only news outlet that has reported on it is the West End News.

To see the original post from last night, please click here.

BREAKING NEWS: Casco Bay Bridge Activity

A slew of siren-laden vehicles rushed past our apartment this evening, just after 8:00pm. When they didn't let up, and fire trucks joined the police cars in the parade, we thought we'd see what was up.

We encountered the logjam of emergency vehicles at the intersection of Danforth and State Streets here in Portland, where they had the street blocked off down to where State and York Streets join at the base of the hill. Some of the fire trucks were departing, but several police and EMT vehicles remained on the lower part of the street. A few Portland Police Department cars suddenly appeared, heading across the Casco Bay Bridge, and we drove across in their wake.

Just past the control booth at the halfway point on the bridge, we saw a woman in a hot pink jogging suit jacket on the opposite side of the walkway than one expects to see people. She was hanging onto the wall with one arm as we drove past, and officers were approaching her on foot from their cars. (Let us also mention the High Weirdness of seeing a dark SUV pulled over on the southbound side of the bridge with the vanity plate "FNORD"!) On reaching the South Portland side of the bridge, we drove out through the marina to see if we could spot what was going on out over the water.

We were just in time to catch these shots, as officers, after joining her on the water side of the walkway wall, apparently convinced her to return to the land of the living. In this sequence of shots, you can identify the unknown person by her bright pink jacket, as she climbs back over the wall. Please click on the photo for a larger image.Since none of the news channels is on top of this story, we have no idea what happened. Conjecture is almost useless, but we wonder if someone who was involved with whatever happened on State Street ran from the scene in an effort to either escape, do away with themselves, or distract attention from the original scene. The coincidence of these two incidents occurring within clear walking distance from each other and almost simultaneously implies a connection. But what do we know? Just what we glimpse.

All photos by Michelle Souliere, (c)2008

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.