Police: Alligator Spotted in Sisson Pond

Police are asking residents to stay clear of Sisson Pond off Union Street after a man reported spotting an alligator in the water on Saturday afternoon.

The state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is investigating this report, police said Monday.

Officers were informed about the sighting on Monday, when an animal control officer checked their voicemail early that morning. A man had left a recording, stating he has seen the reptile in the pond.

According to Lt. Brian Peters of the Portsmouth Police Department, police are treating this sighting very seriously.

"We have to treat something like this seriously until we prove otherwise," Peters said. "This could be a health and safety hazard."

Residents are asked to not go near or swim in the pond. The alligator is described as being four to five-feet in length.

Sisson Pond is located off Union Street not far from Portsmouth Middle School. Classes are expected to begin there Wednesday.