Convicted kidnapper moves to Westbrook

Convicted kidnapper Norman Dickinson, whose recent move to Scarborough upset residents there, has moved to an apartment in Westbrook.

Assistant Regional Correctional Administrator Lisa Nash said on Tuesday that Dickinson moved to an apartment in Westbrook Monday night from a Portland motel where he had been staying. Nash declined to give Dickinson’s new address, but the Westbrook police said on Tuesday he was living in an apartment at 620 Main St.

Last month, Scarborough residents protested the Department of Corrections’ decision to move Dickinson to a home on King Street.

Nash said the Scarborough home was never intended to be Dickinson’s permanent residence and the Department of Corrections has been having difficulty securing a home for Dickinson, mostly because landlords were reluctant to rent to him because of his past and the recent controversy. Nash said Dickinson has a lease on the Westbrook apartment and the rent is being paid with state housing assistance money.

“This is going to be his residence,” she said.

On Tuesday, police were going through the neighborhood near where Dickinson was living distributing leaflets alerting residents to Dickinson’s presence in the city. Capt. Tom Roth said police would be holding a public meeting on Thursday, Dec. 15, at 6 p.m. at the Public Safety Building to discuss any concerns.

“I’m certain there’s going to be a rash of questions,” Roth said. “And we want to be able to provide accurate information.”

In 1989, when Dickinson was 20 years old, he was convicted of kidnapping. He was never charged with or convicted of any sex crime, and he is on probation until 2010 for assaulting a corrections officer. Nash said Dickinson is wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet and cannot leave his house without authorized supervision.

According to South Portland Detective Reed Barker, who worked on Dickinson’s case, on Feb. 2, 1989, Dickinson committed a number of criminal acts in South Portland and was quickly apprehended in Portland. All of the incidents involved a toy gun.

Dickinson first approached a woman at an office park and pointed the toy gun at her and ordered her into her car. The woman screamed, and Dickinson walked away.

He then forced another woman who was getting out of her car to get back in and, while he was in the back seat, ordered her to drive to Cummings Road. He told her to stop on Cummings Road, near what is now the Target shopping center, at which point Dickinson got out of the car, and the woman drove away and called the police.

Dickinson then walked over to the parking lot of the Jackson Institute – now the Spring Harbor Hospital – and attempted to carjack another woman. The woman refused to go and offered him her keys. Dickinson took her money and drove off in her vehicle. Shortly thereafter he was caught in Portland after he crashed the car.

Nash said Dickinson is in better mental condition compared to eight years ago when he wrote to a judge calling himself a “time bomb.” She said Dickinson made that remark in response to a decision to put him in segregation while he was in prison.

Nash said the Department of Corrections doesn’t feel Dickinson poses a danger to the community. “We do not think he is anywhere near the most dangerous guy in town,” she said. “We do not see him as a predator.”

While the state doesn’t think Dickinson poses a huge risk to the community, Roth said he still has some concerns about him living in Westbrook. “We are concerned simply because of his background,” Roth said.

Since he was released from prison earlier this year, Nash said Dickinson has not caused any problems. “He’s done a very good job so far. He’s been out almost three months, and we’ve had no issue with him,” said Nash.

Most of the problems surrounding Dickinson recently have come from people who have been vocally opposed to him living in their neighborhood. Last month, a group of Scarborough residents went to the home where he was staying and began to yell outside the house. Dickinson called police, and the group dispersed before officers could arrive.

Roth said he is concerned a similar scene could happen in Westbrook once the news that Dickinson is living here gets out. He said police would not tolerate any residents giving Dickinson any problems similar to what happened in Scarborough. The leaflets being distributed by police contain a warning to residents to leave Dickinson alone.

“Mr. Dickinson has completed his prison sentence and should be left alone unless engaged in criminal conduct,” read the leaflets.

Roth said any residents with questions about Dickinson should come to the informational meeting on Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. in the Public Safety Building or call the Westbrook police at 854-2531.

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