Chief Jenkins: Portsmouth crimes down overall; drug arrests and kidnappings up in first quarter

Chief Jenkins told the Portsmouth City Council at a public work session on April 14 that overall reported group‑crime numbers for Jan. 1–March 31, 2026, were down about 5.25% compared with the same period in 2025, but that several problem areas require continued focus.

Jenkins, the city’s police chief, said the department has switched its public reporting to the FBI’s group‑crime standard and encouraged council and the public to consult the police department’s online dashboards for block‑level detail. “Total crimes were down 5.25%,” he said, summarizing the department’s quarterly data while noting that percent changes alone can mask small‑number effects.

The nut graf: Jenkins reported sharper declines in some violent‑crime measures — aggravated assaults fell about 14.3% in offenses and 27.3% in victims — and said homicides that occurred early in the year are under active investigation, with one ruled justifiable based on the probe. At the same time, he cautioned, other categories rose: robberies increased slightly (from 25 to 28 incidents), abduction/kidnapping incidents were up 71% (chiefly domestic‑related incidents), and drug‑violation reports rose about 22%, which the chief said largely reflects increased arrests and enforcement.

Jenkins gave raw counts and operational context. The department handled roughly 24,000 calls for service during the quarter (about 273 daily), about 17,000 self‑initiated activities, 3,500–3,600 traffic stops and approximately 2,100 incident reports. He said officers recorded roughly 730 emergency protective custody calls and 180 temporary detention orders in three months; some temporary‑detention transports required travel to distant treatment beds outside the immediate region.

On narcotics and investigations Jenkins described a regional arrest profile: a narcotics/criminal‑investigations unit made about 50 arrests in the quarter, including a notable arrest carried out with U.S. Marshals that recovered about 18 firearms and 74 grams of fentanyl. “When you relate a grain‑sized quantity to fentanyl, it shows why this is a lethal drug,” he said.

Jenkins framed enforcement within a broader prevention strategy: the department ran community programs, including a citywide “Peace Week” that organized 38 events and, Jenkins said, corresponded with a 48% reduction in larcenies and motor‑vehicle thefts during spring break compared with the prior year’s period. He also described wraparound domestic‑violence resources, a violence‑interrupter rollout, a victims’ support weekend led by an outside specialist, and school engagement pilots.

Council members asked for clearer, uniform reporting — not only percentage changes but also underlying counts — and Jenkins agreed to standardize future slides to include both start and end counts along with percent changes. Council praised the peace‑week partnerships and volunteer efforts that Jenkins said contributed to the positive trends.

On resourcing and new tools Jenkins said the department is exploring technology like a drone first‑responder program to provide rapid aerial intelligence for priority calls, and AI‑assisted transcription to reduce report time, but stressed legal and policy guardrails: “This is not a surveillance program,” he said, noting warrants and civil‑liberties constraints. He also recommended legislative fixes to shorten long transports for behavioral‑health detentions.

The briefing concluded with personnel recognitions (employees of the year and several retirees) and a preview of summer youth programming the department plans to coordinate with nonprofit partners. Jenkins invited council and the public to review the department’s public crime dashboards for more detailed breakdowns and offered to provide a 911 vs. non‑emergency call breakdown on request.

The council took no vote on the briefing; members requested follow‑up on the statistics format and periodic updates on targeted corridors and enforcement efforts.