PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Reported incidents in Portsmouth dropped nearly 3% between July and September, but robberies and aggravated assaults are increasing, according to Police Chief Stephen Jenkins.
Jenkins told City Council that reported incidents fell 2.77% during that period. He also acknowledged that the department could be receiving fewer reports.
Robberies increased 18.18% compared to 2025, while aggravated assaults rose 24.07%, according to Jenkins.
He said economic changes and the decisions people make could be contributing to the increase in robberies.
“We have made a number of arrests in those robberies, one in particular where we had a young lady who was responsible for at least three robberies,” Jenkins said.
Lisa Hickman, who has lived in Portsmouth her entire life, said crime appears to have declined compared to when she was growing up. However, she said police response times remain a concern.
“The response times are a bit slow for like things that feel, because things are important to everyone so just because it's not super important to you doesn't mean it's not important to that person so everything should be treated as an emergency,” Hickman said.
Jenkins also told council that the department is struggling to retain officers, including those who are aging out of the force. He said starting pay is comparable to other cities, but the department cannot offer the same scheduling flexibility as some fire departments that have implemented a fourth shift.
Vice Mayor Bill Moody said the staffing concerns need to be addressed.
“I mean the chief has painted a pretty dire picture here that we're losing about as many as we're recruiting so we need to address that as an emergency,” Moody said.
Moody proposed addressing officer pay and benefits during the current budget year.
Jenkins also wants to create a pipeline for future officers through a school program. Mayor Shannon Glover said that effort should include educating young people about behaviors that could prevent them from becoming police officers.
“We got to talk to them about the things they shouldn't be doing that could potentially prevent them from becoming a police officer. 'Cause I don't care how much you pay you put on the street. If we can't even get people qualified to go through the door, we going to be in trouble,” Glover said.
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