PORTSMOUTH — As Portsmouth is experiencing a slight reduction in violent crime, plans are underway to form Portsmouth United, a coalition of city and community leaders working collaboratively to address crime and gun violence.
At a quarterly forum meeting on July 31 , Police Chief Stephen Jenkins touted a 6.2% reduction in violent crime this quarter — April through June — compared to last quarter. However, he did note the city has at least one additional homicide this year as of June 30 compared to the same time period last year.
The chief also briefed Portsmouth City Council last month on the city’s latest initiative to combat violent crime — a new group called Portsmouth United, a community-based violence and prevention initiative that includes city officials, clergy and faith-based leaders, law enforcement, and grassroots leaders.
Jenkins said the goal is to address the root causes of violent crime by combining efforts and resources.
“It really is about building the ecosystem and understanding everybody’s role within that ecosystem,” he said.