Portsmouth police chief pitches harbor master role to tackle derelict vessels
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Summary
Police Chief Steven Jenkins briefed the Port Industrial Commission on repeated derelict and abandoned vessel incidents and proposed establishing a harbor master (contract or part‑time city position), a mooring/registration program and closer coordination with Coast Guard and DEQ.
Police Chief Steven Jenkins told the Port Industrial Commission on March 24 that recurring derelict and abandoned vessels are creating environmental hazards, repeated rescue operations and quality‑of‑life problems along Portsmouth’s waterways and urged the commission to consider a harbor master and a proactive mooring program.
"This challenge is not like an abandoned vehicle that is on our city streets," Jenkins said. "There is not a towboat yard where we can impound a boat for a period of time."
Jenkins reviewed examples of grounding, long‑term liveaboards, mental‑health and criminal incidents and repeated towing and rescue responses. He outlined two delivery options for a harbor master — a contractual arrangement with an experienced individual or a city position (potentially part‑time) — and recommended stronger, coordinated enforcement with the U.S. Coast Guard and the state Department of Environmental Quality.
He also recommended a mooring and registration program that would document when vessels arrive and how long they stay, and enable the city to set time limits or fees for transient docking. Jenkins said removal costs from prior incidents have ranged from roughly $30,000 to $60,000 per vessel and stressed that the city lacks resources to run continuous boat operations from a municipal dock.
"We need a focused individual that would be a point of contact to be able to handle some of our challenges," he said.
Commissioners pressed for operational clarity. One commissioner asked whether people simply "give away" boats; Jenkins confirmed that informal transfers and marketplace listings are common and that vessels can rapidly degrade into hazards.
No formal ordinance vote occurred; Jenkins noted the commission could adopt an ordinance (cited as Va. Code §2.2‑3711 in the meeting reading) to formalize collaboration with regional partners and clarify enforcement authority as staff develops recommendations.
Next steps: staff will continue to study costs, potential contractual approaches and coordination protocols and bring a recommended approach back to the commission.
