PORTSMOUTH, Va. — This week, the Portsmouth Police Department announced a restructuring plan, saying it’s temporarily adjusted officers' hours from the strategic traffic unit and street crimes unit, and temporarily moved school resource officers.
"Nothing’s been compromised when we learned that police were going to be unable to continue the service,” said Portsmouth Public Schools Chiefs Schools Officer Dr. Michael Cromartie.
The police department said they partnered with the Portsmouth Sheriff's Office to take over as school resource officers. Dr. Cromartie said many deputies are filling in.
“The sheriff's office has promised us 10 deputies, one for each secondary school. We have three middle schools and three high schools -- that's a total of six -- and then the other four would serve as sort of rovers on patrol from our 13 elementary schools," he said.
The Portsmouth Fraternal Order of Police sent out a news release expressing concerns about the changes in services.
“Our community interaction with different community groups will be minimized because officers are actually answering calls for service," said William Watts, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Gosport Lodge No. 20.
Watts, who is also a detective and speaking on behalf of the FOP, explained his team is feeling the impact of the changes.
“My unit was impacted. We’re no longer seizing illegal guns, stopping gun violence, stopping gang members. We’re actually answering domestic calls, barking dog calls, things like that," he said.
Watts is urging Portsmouth City Council to use more funds to keep police officers in Portsmouth.
“This year we’ve lost 30 people from the police department. Last year it was 28, the year before that was 39," said Watts.
Watts is encouraging residents to reach out to council members, too.
“We’re supposed to be at 259 is what our police department is supposed to be at... and right now we’re at about 130 deployable," said Watts.
Watts explained the city just hired six officers and 13 are in the police academy now. However, Watts said the department needs more.
A Portsmouth Police spokesperson said the department has 187 sworn employees and 72 openings for sworn employees.
Portsmouth public school leaders said all of the new school resource sheriff’s deputies have completed a state school resource officer model training.