For years, Portsmouth has battled a reputation for high levels of violent crime. But newly released figures from the Portsmouth Police Department show the city is making measurable progress, and leaders say a mix of targeted enforcement, technology, and community outreach is driving the change.
During Wednesday’s quarterly Chief’s Forum in Olde Towne, Police Chief Stephen Jenkins announced that overall crime in Portsmouth is down 17% so far in 2025 compared with the same period last year.
“Overall, for our city, crime is down by 17 percent year to date,” Jenkins said…