The Board of Police Commissioners serves as the head of the Police Department. A three-member police commission oversees the police department, created in 1987 by the vote of the Newington, New Hampshire town meeting. This board sets overall policy while the Chief of Police manages the day-to-day operations of the department and implements the board’s policies or policy direction and goals. Due in large part to their hard work and dedication, the department has a very low rate of turnover among the full time officers.

Police Commissioner Brenda Blonigen

Commissioner Blonigen began her law enforcement career in 1980 with the US Air Force. In 1987 Commissioner Blonigen started her civilian law enforcement career as a part-time officer with the Newington Police Department. In 1989 Commissioner Blonigen was hired full time with the Dover NH Police Department where she served until 1995. In 1995 she went to the North Hampton Police Department as a Detective Sergeant and served there until 1997, when she was hired as a Deputy Sheriff with the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Department. Commissioner Blonigen was the first female deputy for that department and was promoted to Sergeant in 1999 and served there until she retired in 2009. Commissioner Blonigen served with the Air National Guard with a combined service of 34 years where she reached the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, retiring in 2014.

Police Commissioner David Obertanec

Commissioner David Obertanec began is career in the United States Air Force in 1996.  In 1998, Commissioner Obertanec joined the Air National Guard as a Human Resource Specialist and was promoted to be the 11th State Command Chief.  Commission Obertanec retired from the New Hampshire Air National Guard in 2021 with over 37 years of service.  He currently works as a civil servant for the New Hampshire Air National Guard as a Group Unit Deployment Manager.   He also works part-time for Loyal Source and at the Newington Transfer Station.  Commissioner Obertanec resides on Little Bay Road with his wife Debbra, an employee with the Town of Newington Library.

Police Commissioner Robert Siede

Commissioner Siede brings over 13 years of law enforcement experience at both the municipal and federal levels. Commissioner Siede  has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Bachelors of Science in Organizational Management and a Masters Business Administration.  He retired from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 2022 after 37 years of service serving in both blue collar and white-collar professions.