Granite Stater award goes to longtime Portsmouth police officer

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, has recognized Kevin Semprini of Portsmouth as December's Granite Stater of the Month for his decades-long commitment to law enforcement and child safety.

Semprini, a lifelong Portsmouth resident, was inspired to join the police force by the officers in his neighborhood who worked to build a strong community, according to a community announcement. Early in his career, he identified a need to strengthen child safety across New Hampshire and, working with the Portsmouth police chief, helped create a new school safety program.

The program took him to local schools where he helped elementary students learn tips on how to stay safe. He quickly earned the nickname "Officer Friendly" from students who struggled to pronounce his last name, a name that stayed with him throughout his career.

As the department evolved, Semprini played a key role in expanding youth-focused safety initiatives. He was introduced to the DARE program by a new police chief and worked with state officials to pilot New Hampshire's first DARE program, which was later expanded statewide.

After 46 years of service, Semprini is retiring with the gratitude of the Portsmouth community and all Granite Staters. His dedication to protecting children and strengthening public safety exemplifies the Granite State spirit of going the extra mile for one's community, according to the announcement.

Hassan said in the announcement that she is proud to name Semprini as December's Granite Stater of the Month.

This story was created by Kimberly Green, KGreen@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process.  Learn more .

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kevin Semprini named Granite Stater of the Month