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Portsmouth Police marks promotion, recognizes drone team and highlights dual accreditation
Summary
The commission vested Lieutenant Tom Sitsko, recognized the department drone team for a April 4 mutual‑aid response, and heard accreditation manager Kate Young say Portsmouth has both state and advanced national accreditation and is preparing for a Jan–Feb 2027 on‑site review and a May 2027 hearing.
The Portsmouth Police Commission held a vesting‑of‑rank ceremony to promote Tom Sitsko to lieutenant and recognized members of the department’s drone team for mutual‑aid assistance in Raymond on April 4, 2026. The board described Sitsko’s decade of service with the department, prior experience in Ohio, his leadership of the drone unit and prior promotion to patrol sergeant.
Officials said the drone team maintained continuous aerial operations for more than six hours during the Raymond response, providing thermal‑based monitoring that the presenters said helped locate a suspect and allowed tactical units to engage the situation safely. Commissioners publicly thanked the officers recognized for the response.
Kate Young, the department’s accreditation manager, presented an overview of accreditation programs and milestones. She said Portsmouth holds advanced national accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and recently received state accreditation in April 2026 through the New Hampshire Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. "Accreditation provides a framework to review our policies and practices and helps us demonstrate accountability and transparency," Young told the commission.
Young outlined the process leading to accreditation: remote file reviews, interviews of personnel, and a forthcoming on‑site assessment in January–February 2027 followed by a CALEA hearing in May 2027. She highlighted the department’s field‑training revisions, juvenile‑program relationships with service partners, and early work on artificial‑intelligence policies for department use.
Commissioners also reported personnel gains: hiring seven new officers after a staffing low of about 60 sworn officers, bringing staffing to roughly 67; six of the hires are slated for the academy this summer and are expected to be active officers by the following year.
The commission did not take formal policy votes during the accreditation presentation; the session served as recognition and an informational update on standards and staffing.
