UNH police chief resigns following DUI

University of New Hampshire Police Chief Steven Lee has resigned, two months after being arrested for driving under the influence in Portsmouth.

Lee’s resignation was effective April 1, according to Tania deLuzuriaga, a university spokesperson. His decision to resign came after the university notified him that it intended to terminate him, according to a separation agreement obtained through a right-to-know request.

“He believes that his transition from the university is in the Department’s best interest given the unfortunate event that occurred,” Lee’s attorney, Corey MacDonald, wrote in a statement to the Monitor.

Lee, 50, was arrested in the early morning hours of Jan. 22 after an officer spotted his SUV swerving and nearly colliding with an 18-wheeler on Market Street in Portsmouth, according to a police report the Monitor obtained through a right-to-know request.

Lee admitted to drinking “downtown” and said he was heading home, according to the report. The officer said Lee smelled of alcohol and noticed he had red, glossy eyes. He partially failed a series of field sobriety tests and declined to take a breathalyzer test.

He had been on administrative leave since his arrest. In February, he pleaded guilty to the DUI charge.

“Steve has taken the high road at every opportunity throughout this unfortunate process, insisting on full accountability and transparency,” MacDonald wrote. “He has acknowledged his mistake, and he has faced consequences that go far and away beyond what usually occurs when there is a DUI conviction.”

Lee was named UNH’s police chief last year, following the departure of his predecessor, Paul Dean, who took a job in Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s administration. Lee worked full-time for the department for nearly two decades.

As a condition of his plea, Lee’s driver’s license was suspended for nine months, with the possibility of earlier reinstatement. He was required to pay a $620 fine and participate in an impaired driver care management program, according to court records.

MacDonald previously said that Lee placed himself on administrative leave and “proactively entered treatment catering to first responders.”

“He is hopeful as he looks forward to the next chapter of his professional life, and he considers himself fortunate to have spent 30 years in public service doing good for his community,” MacDonald wrote. “Steve encourages other first responders to not take their own health and well-being lightly, and to lean into each other for guidance and support early on in their career.”

In a letter accepting Lee’s resignation that was appended to his separation agreement, an unnamed university official thanked Lee for his “sustained dedication” to the university, but noted that it “does not diminish the gravity of what occurred earlier this year.”

Former Captain Mark Collopy was appointed interim chief of UNH’s department following Lee’s arrest. He continues to serve in that role, according to deLuzuriaga.

The university has yet to launch a search to fill the role permanently. The chief of police reports to the university’s vice president for administration and finance, Robert Watling, who started in that position within the past month, deLuzuriaga said.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with details from the separation agreement between Steven Lee and the University of New Hampshire, obtained through a right-to-know request.