PORTSMOUTH — Back when he applied for an officer position with the Portsmouth Police Department in 1995, Mark Newport had no thought of rising through the ranks or elevating himself to chief of police status.
“This was never in the plans. I really wasn’t even planning on being a police officer,” he said.
One month shy of celebrating 26 years serving the Port City community, alongside proudly holding the title of chief, Newport carries another badge of honor in his role — serving as Portsmouth’s first Black chief of police.
He was approved for the top position in January after a few months serving as interim chief following the departure of Chief Robert Merner on Oct. 7.