Jami L. Resch pledged Monday in her first public outing as Portland, OR's new police chief to be a “collaborative chief’’ who will work to be out in the community as much as possible.
Resch, 45, is a 21-year veteran of the department. She said she’ll continue the momentum that predecessor Danielle Outlaw—who is now chief of the Philadelphia Police Department—began and said she hopes to serve out the remaining five years of her career as the city’s chief, OregonLive reports.
Resch said she’s dedicated to working to stem gun violence and traffic-related deaths, speeding up hiring to fill a growing number of officer vacancies, working to hold officers accountable, improving trust in the city and continuing to seek help from outside agencies as Portland braces for large protests in this upcoming election year. There are 100 vacancies in the bureau, leaving 901 sworn officers on the job.
“It’s a little bit overwhelming but it’s a very proud moment,'' Resch said. "I never wanted Chief Outlaw to leave, but I’m honored to take over.''
