Lieutenant Promotions

On Thursday, March 24, 2022, the Board of Police Commissioners voted unanimously to promote Patrol Sergeant Seth Tondreault and Detective Sergeant Eric Benson to the rank of Lieutenant. Seth will remain in the Patrol Division while Eric will transition over to the Administrative Division as the department’s Personnel & Training Lieutenant.

Lt. Tondreault is in his 12th year with the Portsmouth Police Department and his 16th year total in law enforcement, having previously served the Town of Epping, NH for four years. Seth currently holds numerous peripheral assignments within the agency such as: commander of the department’s Honor Guard, team leader on the Seacoast Emergency Response Team, member of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISMT) and current assistant coordinator of the department’s Field Training Program. In addition, Seth has been a Detective, a member of the department’s Motorcycle Unit, a past President of the Portsmouth Police Relief Association, and a member of the Crime Scene Team.

Seth holds a master’s degree in Investigations from the University of New Haven and recently attended the FBI’s Command College. Seth is married with two young children and calls the Seacoast home. 

Lt. Benson is in his 15th year with the Portsmouth Police Department. After a decade as a Patrol Officer, Eric was promoted to the position of Training Officer and implemented department wide training for all sworn and newly hired officers. 

In 2019, Eric was promoted to Patrol Sergeant overseeing the Field Training Program. In 2021, Eric was appointed to Detective Sergeant where he supervised multiple Detectives, the Street Crimes Unit, the Crime Scene Team, Evidence, and acted as the liaison with Rockingham County Attorney’s Office for all felony level cases. 

In addition, he served for 11 years with the Seacoast Emergency Response Team and 4 years as a Field Training Officer. Eric holds several instructor certifications including pistol, rifle, defensive tactics, expandable baton, OC pepper spray, Taser, driving, and less lethal impact munitions. 

Eric is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard and holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from UMASS-Lowell. He has been married to his wife for 16 years and has two sons. Eric looks forward to the next chapter of his career, recruiting and hiring the next generation of law enforcement. ​