Company Profile
Portsmouth Police Department
Company Overview
Portsmouth has consistently been voted one of the most desirable places in the country in which to live, work, and visit. This is largely due to the dedicated men and women who provide excellent public safety services on a daily basis. With 64 full-time officers, 25 auxiliary officers, 21 full-time and 4 part-time civilian support staffers, we provide a variety of services to one of America's most desirable and vibrant communities. In a recent survey of our community 99% feel very safe or safe walking in our downtown or in neighborhoods during the day, while 94% feel very safe or safe at night.
The Portsmouth Police Department embraces a community policing philosophy, and we are constantly looking for new ways to reduce crime and improve the quality-of-life for Portsmouth's citizens and visitors. Our department will be aggressive towards any crime, big or small. We service a resident population of 21,000, however, our population can swell to over 50,000 with workers and visitors to our many diverse businesses and cultural destinations. Portsmouth is a popular venue for hundreds of sports, arts, and fundraising events each year in and around our picturesque downtown, and visiting populations can swell to many tens of thousands for a given event.
We work closely with the 16 to 20 active neighborhood groups through the Citywide Neighborhood Committee and participation in the annual National Night Out event. Other public outreaches include Facebook and Twitter and the extremely popular Citizen Police Academy, which offers Seacoast citizens and business owners a behind-the-scenes look at police work.
The Portsmouth Police Department participates in local and statewide regional initiatives such as the Seacoast Emergency Response Team and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for New Hampshire which is managed out of our offices. We also work collaboratively with surrounding municipal and regional law enforcement on issues of traffic safety.
The police department is governed by a board of three elected Police Commissioners. The Commissioners provide direct citizen oversight of the police department in matters of policy, promotions, budget, grievances, and complaints. Established in 1654, we have a long, proud history of serving and protecting this beautiful award-winning city.
Benefits
The starting salary of an entry level police officer with the Portsmouth Police Department is $43,729.90 and ranges to $60,648.06 for Master Patrol III
Benefits for full-time sworn police officers include the following:
- Life Insurance
- Health Insurance
- Prescription Drug Plan
- Dental Insurance
- New Hampshire Retirement System
- Annual Vacation
- Sick Leave
- Funeral Leave
- Personal Days
- Deferred Compensation Plans
- Employee Assistance Plan
- Police Relief Association
- In-House Fitness Room
- Educational Assistance
The Portsmouth Police Department offers full-time sworn officers the ability to apply for a variety of special assignments including the Bike Patrol, Crime Stoppers, Crisis Negotiation Team, Detectives, Seacoast Emergency Response Team, Honor Guard, Police K-9, Motorcycle Patrol, Narcotics Unit, Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor, Firearms Armorer, Defensive Tactics/ASP/OC/Taser Instructor, Drug Recognition Expert (DRE), Breath-test Operator and Child Passenger Safety-Seat Inspector.