Mission Statement & Overview

Mission Statement

The Portsmouth Police Department actively works in partnership with our community to protect, prevent crime, and respectfully, justly and compassionately help all people.

Department Principles

The Portsmouth Police Department is guided by the principles of procedural justice, the sanctity of life, and the Guardian mindset, which are integrated throughout the organization.

The Portsmouth Police Department upholds procedural justice by treating individuals with dignity and respect, ensuring citizens have a voice during encounters, and acting with neutrality and transparency to maintain public trust.

Our foremost pledge to the City of Portsmouth is to protect all human life and maintain public safety. We demonstrate our commitment to the sanctity of life through sound policies and procedures, continuous training, and organizational accountability. 

The Portsmouth Police Department recognizes that our community expects officers to respond with professionalism and readiness. While the department emphasizes operational preparedness, the foundation of our agency rests on the Guardian mindset - protecting our community through partnership and service. 

Department Structure

The Portsmouth Police Department is budgeted for 70 full-time police officers, 26 auxiliary (part-time) police officers, and utilizes the services of 26 non-sworn civilian employees, including dispatchers and administrative staff. 

Under the direction of the Police Commissioners, the department is organized into three divisions: Patrol, Investigative, and Administrative. 

The Patrol Division includes uniformed officers, police K-9, motorcycle patrol, animal control, several members of the Seacoast Emergency Response Team, and a Police Explorer Post. 

The Investigative Division handles major crimes, juvenile cases, Crime Stoppers, crime analysis, and undercover narcotics enforcement.

The Administrative Division encompasses Professional Standards, Personnel and Training, Records Unit, Legal Offices, Information Technology and Fleet Management. The Professional Standards Unit oversees department policies, CALEA and State Accreditation, citizen complaints, Internal Affairs investigations, and Right-to-Know requests. Additional administrative services, including financial operations, facility oversight, and grant management, are managed by the Operations Manager.