Portsmouth commission elects chair and clerk, hears CAD migration, staffing and grant updates ahead of FY27 budget

The Portsmouth Police Commission elected Commissioner Shear as chair and appointed Commissioner Fernand as clerk during its meeting, then moved on to operational updates ahead of the FY27 budget process.

The commission approved both procedural motions after members moved, seconded and voted in favor. Commissioners also voted to accept an unsolicited $1,000 donation from residents Paul Gormley and Kimmy Iguchi and to forward the donation to the city council for formal action.

Department leaders briefed the commission on facility remediation, information technology and staffing. The chief and commissioners said roughly $300,000 has been spent on remediation to date with additional phases expected; final numbers are pending. The department reported it went live on a new Central Square CAD/RMS on Nov. 4, 2025. Staff said day‑to‑day functions (calls for service, arrest reports and dispatch) are operating on the new system, but legacy data from a 30‑year system was migrated in inconsistent formats and remains available in the old system for reference.

The department reported all officers now wear body‑worn cameras and that more than 30,000 pieces of digital evidence (video clips and screenshots) have been captured since deployment, easing scene processing.

A crime analyst presented year‑to‑date 2025 statistics versus a three‑year average: calls for service were down 11.6% to 38,135; arrests were reported at 888 (about a 4% decrease); offense reports fell 12.7% to 2,152; reportable motor vehicle crashes declined 10% to 449; and motor vehicle stops were down 18.6% to 6,657. Commissioners asked whether staffing shortages caused some declines; the deputy chief said being down eight officers is a significant contributing factor and that background investigations for applicants are underway.

On budget and grants, the commission heard that FY26 will be adjusted to reflect a Professional Management Association settlement. Staff circulated an initial draft of the FY27 budget, which they said is a level‑services proposal that includes a social worker position intended to be fully grant funded; that position and any related funding depend on forthcoming approvals. The department said a federal IAK grant was approved at the federal level and is pending final sign‑offs, a bulletproof vest grant is under review (expected March or April), and an allocation applied for through Representative Papis could offset about $1 million in IT/renovation costs. Staff also reported that Senator Shaheen’s office indicated $1 million in IAK funding that would be shared 50/50 with Fox Valley Technical College, with documentation expected soon.

The commission further reported a two‑year opiate abatement grant was approved for two social‑worker positions—$400,000 per year for two years, totaling $800,000—supporting a police social worker and a school social worker. Officials described the award as the product of a multi‑department team effort involving police, welfare and school personnel.

The department will present the proposed FY27 budget at a public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 5:00 p.m. in the school board conference room at City Hall. The commission’s next regular meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m.

Actions recorded during the meeting included approval of minutes from the Dec. 16 commission meeting, election of the chair and appointment of the clerk, acceptance of the $1,000 donation, and adjournment.