Ex-officer found innocent of sex crimes could seek recertification, official says

NH Police Standards and Training Council Director John Scippa (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - Now that a former Rochester police officer has been found innocent of all sex assault charges following a six-day trial, the path is available for him to get back into law enforcement, the director of the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council said on Thursday.

Randy Smith, 37, who served as a patrol officer and sergeant on the force from 2007 until the criminal complaint was filed in January 2020, was found innocent of all charges last Wednesday after the jury deliberated less than a day to exonerate him.

"Anybody has the ability to request a hearing in front of the council that the council has jurisdiction over," said New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council Director John Scippa.

Rochester Police Chief Gary Boudreau said it had been a difficult and complex case for State Police to handle and thanked the jury for their diligence in hearing the evidence.

"The jury did not have an easy task to undertake, and I thank them for their difficult work," Boudreau said on Thursday.

He said he couldn't comment on whether Smith was seeking re-employment with RPD because it is a personnel issue.

"The Rochester Police Department is committed to providing a high level of dedicated, professional service to our community," he added. "We will work through this, continuing to earn the public's trust each day on each service call for the betterment of our community."

Efforts to reach out to Smith for comment were unsuccessful.

To read the story that reported the innocent verdict click here.