PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Portsmouth Police Department is expanding its surveillance network with 22 new cameras planned for installation across the city.
Police Chief Stephen Jenkins said the expansion is part of a broader effort to increase visibility downtown and make the area more inviting for residents and businesses.
“We are expanding our footprint in our downtown area, expanding to the LINC, and hoping to make a more vibrant downtown business area,” Jenkins said.
The new cameras will work in coordination with the department’s Real Time Crime Center, which allows officers to monitor live footage and respond to incidents faster.
Jenkins says the cameras will cover High Street up to Effingham Street, as well as areas along London Boulevard, Crawford Street, and Court Street.
“If we have situations that unfold, it can be captured,” Jenkins explained. “We can get units to that area faster, with the hopes of being able to catch the perpetrators, hopefully in the act.”
Local businesses say the move is a welcome one. Andrea Hartge with Dominion Drones said her store experienced a theft earlier this year when someone walked off with three display drones.
“Our Ring camera didn’t get a good picture of the person,” Hartge said. “It would have been great if there were cameras outside that police had access to.”
Jenkins said policies and procedures will guide the use of the new cameras, ensuring proper oversight and privacy.
“Portsmouth is no longer the place where people feel like they can do whatever they want,” Jenkins said. “We’re changing the way our city is, and those cameras are just one step toward getting that done.”
The department is working with city IT staff and vendors to finalize plans. Jenkins says installation is expected to begin summer 2026.
