Danielle Outlaw resigns as Philadelphia police commissioner; heading to Port Authority of NY and NJ
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw is resigning from her post to become the deputy chief security officer at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Mayor Jim Kenney said Tuesday. Outlaw's last day will be Sept. 22.
Outlaw, the first Black woman to run the 6,000-member police department, came to Philadelphia from Portland, Oregon, where her handling of protests had raised concerns. She was also the first Black woman to lead Portland's police department.
She leaves after a bumpy three years on the job that began just before COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, and was quickly followed by intense protests that broke out in Philadelphia and across the country in the summer of 2020 over the police killing of Black people and resulted in a historic settlement with protestors who were tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed by Philadelphia police.
Later in 2020, police came under rebuke again when a young Black man named Walter Wallace Jr., who had a history of mental illness and was brandishing a knife outside his home, was shot and killed within seconds of police arriving to the scene. Outlaw bemoaned the lack of mental health services while pledging the department would do better.
The latest incident Outlaw had to tackle as police commissioner was the changing story of the fatal police shooting of Eddie Irizarry.
Outlaw's resignation comes just a few months before the end of Kenney's tenure, and as crime rates including homicides and gun-related crimes have become a major issue in the race for who will replace him. While campaigning, Democratic candidate Cherelle Parker has skirted questions over her plans for leadership at the police department.
Over the last few years, Philadelphia has seen a sharp increase in homicides, setting a modern-day record in 2021 with 562 homicides that year. Homicides declined slightly in 2022 and advocates have said they are on track to decrease further this year. But even though Philadelphia was hardly alone among U.S. cities in experiencing a rise in homicides over that time, it has had a hard time combatting a Republican narrative of being a Democratic city with a progressive district attorney that is overrun with violence and danger.
Meanwhile, Outlaw faced a gender bias lawsuit from within the department that yielded a $1 million federal verdict to two female officers who said they endured a hostile work environment that included being put in undesirable jobs after they lodged sexual harassment complaints.
In a news release Tuesday, Kenney praised Outlaw's commitment to bring reform to the police department "after years of racism and gender discrimination prior to her appointment."
"Commissioner Outlaw has worked relentlessly for three and a half years during an unprecedented era in our city and a number of crisis situations," the mayor said in a statement.
"She's done a terrific job, I'd pick her again, and I'd keep her if she wanted to stay till the end," Kenney said.
Reactions poured in after Outlaw announced she's stepping down from leading the department.
"Coming in from outside, it's tough to be able to come to the city of Philadelphia and try to relate to the way the city works, the political atmosphere here," John McNesby, the president of the Philadelphia FOP Lodge 5, said.
Pastor Carl Day, a community leader who has worked with Outlaw throughout her tenure, believes the commissioner was just starting to see results.
"This last year, where she's actually been able to sink her teeth into the city, I mean the numbers are kind of speaking for themselves," Day said. "We see a decline in violence and crime overall."
Others hoped for more during Outlaw's term. FOP leader McNesby called his relationship with Outlaw cordial and respectful but says they often lacked communication.
"Not a lot was accomplished here. Manpower went down, morale went down," McNesby said. "So I'm not gonna kick anybody on their way out the door but we wish her well."
Outlaw's tenure leading Philly police wasn't a long one and most people we talked with shrugged off the question of legacy. But Day believes Outlaw will leave at least one important impression.
"I think that it's a win for Black women to be able to show that they can come into even some of the most chaotic causes and or times and show that they can get the job done," Day said.
Outlaw, in a statement, thanked her team's "hard work, resilience and professionalism" over her three years overseeing the force.
"Our team has shown incredible adaptability and has worked tirelessly to maintain our pillars of organizational excellence, crime prevention and reduction, and community engagement and inclusion even in the face of adversity," Outlaw said.
Philadelphia District Attorney said in a statement, "I join others in wishing Police Commissioner Outlaw well in her next chapter. "Incidents of gun violence and other violent crime continue to decrease since the pandemic peak, thankfully, and it is critical that the City of Philadelphia seize this moment to get ahead of violent crime by investing robustly in prevention, and modern enforcement with a state-of-the-art forensics lab and other innovations."
"As city leadership transitions to a new mayoral administration, we must also recommit to integrity, transparency, and accountability within the Philadelphia Police Department and all law enforcement, including the DAO. Earning the trust of the public is critical to securing safety and peace in all communities," the statement added.
First Deputy John Stanford, Jr., will serve as interim police commissioner, Kenney said.
Kenney, Day and McNesby all say they have faith in Stanford leading the department and look forward to seeing what he brings.
