The current chief of the Portland (OR) Bureau of Police has been named as the new commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department.
Portland Chief Named New Philly Commissioner
In taking over in Philadelphia, Outlaw would lead the nation’s fourth-largest municipal police department, which has about 6,600 sworn officers and 800 civilian employees. By comparison, the Portland Police Bureau has 877 sworn officers and 300 civilian employees.
December 30, 2019
Danielle Outlaw, 43, will be the first black woman to lead the Philadelphia Police Department. She will be the city’s second female commissioner, as Christine Coulter has served as the interim commissioner since August, when former Police Commissioner Richard Ross resigned abruptly, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
In taking over in Philadelphia, Outlaw would lead the nation’s fourth-largest municipal police department, which has about 6,600 sworn officers and 800 civilian employees. By comparison, the Portland Police Bureau has 877 sworn officers and 300 civilian employees, according to city data.
After having spent 20 years on the force in her hometown of Oakland, Calif., Outlaw was sworn in to lead the Portland Police Bureau in October 2017, becoming the first black woman to head the force in one of America’s most liberal and whitest big cities. Her hire in Portland in 2017 was met with optimism from police reform advocates, who characterized her as progressive.
Outlaw made a name for herself in law enforcement, speaking on topics related to race and policing, women representation and use of force investigations. Last year, she delivered a Ted Talk about 21st-century policing and restoring “the humanity in authority.”
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