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Emergency Dial 911, Portsmouth Police Department, 3 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801, Tel: (603) 427-1500 |
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Investigations Division Family Services Juvenile Delinquency Prevention/Intervention Effort Over a decade ago, the Portsmouth Police Department recognized the value to society and importance of early intervention of juvenile offenders. The Family Service Division has designated detectives and civilian support staff to properly and thoroughly carry out a three pronged approach to this end. Education, prevention, and diversion are the first steps before litigious court action is taken with youthful offenders, and it is through the support of the community and the collaboration with the various social service agencies, that this approach has been successful and widely accepted. Our detectives are part of the Northern New England Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a grant funded program from OJJDP (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention). This includes Maine and Vermont, and we coordinate the grant and are the lead agency. We are able to conduct both undercover investigations and forensic examinations of computers seized suspected of containing child pornography. We are also able to investigate child exploitation and solicitation cases. Education At the five elementary schools in the City, a detective brings to all the students a host of age-appropriate lessons that range from Halloween safety, to Stranger awareness and sexual assault awareness, to bicycle safety, and 911 operations. Here too, the detective is a resource to the staff and is frequently interacting with the students during lunch and on the playground. The dual role of educating, and rapport and trust building, is the foundation for the development of a long-term relationship between the younger citizens of the City and the police. We also teach 'Lifeskills' at the elementary and Middle School levels and 'Bullyproofing' at the elementary school. 'Lifeskills' gives students lessons that improve self-esteem and gives them alternatives to drug and alcohol use. Prevention The Portsmouth Police Department has assigned detectives to the position of School Resource Officer (SRO) at the Portsmouth High School, Middle School, Portsmouth Alternative Secondary School (PASS) and the elementary schools. We have a School Resource Officer (SRO) at the High School. A Detective is the SRO at the elementary schools, and another is the SRO at the Middle School and the Portsmouth Alternative Secondary School, otherwise known as PASS. The SRO position is a cooperative endeavor between the police and school department. The assigned detectives wear many hats in this position: offering timely education pieces, enforcing laws and maintaining order on campus, enforcing truancy statutes, as well as being a deterring presence on campus. Intervention In those cases where education and prevention have been unsuccessful, the Portsmouth Police Department has undertaken one more step to alter the wayward course of a juvenile before engaging the legal system for rehabilitation. For the past fifteen years, the Portsmouth Police Department has been the only police agency in the State to employ a civilian Youth Advocate, dedicated to developing diversion programs and offering counseling for status offenders. When offered community service and education as an alternative to going to court for minor offenses, the offenders most always choose the diversion. Our records indicate that most of these children do not re-offend after the completion of the diversion contract. The research is clear; all career offenders begin by exhibiting behaviors that are status offenses or minor infractions. If these incidents go unchecked and are not properly addressed, the offender will push the limits and move up to the next step in the ladder of criminal behavior. This three-pronged approach to curve delinquency and remedy minor offenses, is a commitment on the part of the Portsmouth Police Department, and is a position held strongly by police chief Michael Magnant. return |
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Emergency Dial 911, Portsmouth Police Department, 3 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801, Tel: (603) 427-1500 |