Proud of Portsmouth police and grateful to have served as commissioner

Jan. 28 − To the Editor:

This month marks the end of my responsibilities as Chair of the Portsmouth Police Commission. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve on the Police Commission alongside my fellow Commissioners Kate Coyle, Joe Onosko, Buzz Scherr, and Assistant Mayor Splaine, Chief Mark Newport, Deputy Chief Michael Maloney and a highly dedicated department of people working tirelessly to protect and serve our community, region and state. I would like to thank the citizens of Portsmouth for entrusting me with this responsibility and wish Commissioner Francesca Marconi the very best in her new role. I also want to congratulate Commissioner Kate Coyle for being selected Chair.

Nearly six years ago, when I was first appointed to complete Reverend Dr. Arthur Hilson's term, the world was a different place. Then, I was inspired to help carry forward Reverend Hilson's inspiring work. My time on the City Council reinforced the importance of the Police Commission to foster trust in the Police Department and, in turn, make community policing possible. After George Floyd's murder, the importance of the Police Commission became even more evident. Working together with community leaders, we translated concerns and recommendations for greater transparency into action. As a result of these collective efforts, the City of Portsmouth and the Police Department are implementing the use of body cameras and updating an outdated communications infrastructure. It is now possible to access Police Department policies on-line and seamlessly file complaints. Importantly, the Department is also partnering with Seacoast Mental Health to more effectively respond to those experiencing a mental health crisis. Portsmouth Police Department is home to a new emotional support dog named Mason who serves alongside Detective Rochelle Jones. All of these steps were taken to realize the potential of community policing and better serve the citizens of Portsmouth.

During this tumultuous time, I am struck by the level of professionalism and responsiveness in the Portsmouth Police Department. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and related deployments, which caused considerable staffing challenges, officers stepped up to cover patrols, ensure public safety at protests and political rallies, and maintain a 24-7 operation. The Department's impressive team of detectives recently solved a cold case that is more than 40 years old. Last spring, swift and relentless work by the entire Police Department resulted in the arrest of a young man who threatened gun violence at Portsmouth High School and was apprehended with an arsenal of weapons. Portsmouth is also home to the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce for the entire state. This is incredibly difficult and critically important work. Our community is fortunate that the expertise required to do this work resides in Portsmouth. This team regularly conducts training and other community events to help inform parents and community members how best to keep our young people safe on line.

I have appreciated the chance to work alongside Chief Newport and was grateful to be part of the Commission that promoted him to the position of Chief. Thanks to his leadership, we recently renegotiated all union contracts, which puts the City in a much stronger position to retain and attract the talent needed to deliver the public safety services Portsmouth demands. In this spirit, I hope that the community will continue the work we started and build a functional and safe community policing facility that meets the Department's needs now and in the future. The time is long overdue.

Thank you, Portsmouth for the privilege of serving you on the Police Commission. I will carry this experience with me and it will inform the most important title that we all share - that of citizen. Stefany Shaheen

Portsmouth