Portsmouth Police Chief To Retire

PORTSMOUTH, RI — After six years as the city's top cop, Portsmouth Police Chief Thomas Lee is retiring from the force. Lee, a veteran police officer, spent 34 years with the Boston Police Department before coming to Rhode Island. His last day will be July 12.

Lee said he is incredibly proud of everything the department has accomplished during his tenure as colonel, including the construction of a new police station, earning an accreditation from the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission, the addition of four new female officers to the staff, creating two new school resource officer positions, having Portsmouth named one of the safest communities in the country and the creation of a Citizen's Police Academy.

"Every good leader works on developing and mentoring his subordinates for that this when it's their turn to run the organization," Lee said. "I believe that time has now come. We have many strong young leaders in this agency who can continue driving change in the future and deserve their chance."

The department thanked Chief Lee for his decades of service, calling him "an inspiration for all that work in the law enforcement community."

During his time in Boston, Lee held several high-ranking positions within the department, including serving as Deputy Superintendent.

In March, the department's first female deputy police chief, Maryanne Perry, retired after nearly 20 years with the agency.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported that Portsmouth's accreditation was revoked in March. The Bristol Police Department's accreditation was revoked in March, not Portsmouth.