Portsmouth Reports Nearly 3% Crime Decline Amid Staffing Challenges
Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins reported a nearly 3% drop in overall crime incidents between July and September, yet noted increases in robberies and aggravated assaults. The department is also struggling with officer recruitment and retention, prompting city officials to…
Norfolk Portsmouth Newport News, VA, October 28, 2026 —
Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins reported that overall crime incidents fell by nearly 3% between July and September, while robberies and aggravated assaults increased during the period. The department is also facing challenges recruiting and retaining officers, leading city officials to explore potential responses involving pay, benefits and future talent pipelines.
The reported decline in overall incidents occurred alongside increases in two specific categories of crime. The available information does not include the number of incidents in either period, the size of the increases in robberies or aggravated assaults, or the year covered by the July-to-September comparison.
The figures Jenkins reported indicate different trends across crime categories, but no further breakdown was provided. Details about where the increases occurred, or whether the department has identified explanations for them, were not provided. The reported information also does not specify how crime incidents were counted.
Alongside crime trends, the department’s recruitment and retention difficulties have become an issue for city officials. They are exploring solutions focused on compensation and the development of future candidates for the department. The specific proposals under consideration, their costs, and any decisions or implementation timelines were not provided.
The information available does not identify how many officers the department is seeking to recruit or retain, or how many vacancies it has. It also does not describe current pay or benefits, or provide details about the future talent pipelines officials are considering. No further statements from Jenkins or other city officials were included.
The reported crime decline and staffing challenges describe separate areas facing the department: overall incidents were down slightly, while two categories rose and officials considered ways to address recruitment and retention. Further figures and details about the city’s potential staffing measures were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Naomi Washington on www.wtkr.com, see more information here.
