Philadelphia police commissioner resigns, months before end of mayor’s second term

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw will step down this month to take a leadership position with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the mayor said Tuesday.

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 leaves after a bumpy three years on the job that began just before the pandemic lockdowns 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.

Outlaw’s resignation comes just a few months before the end of Mayor Jim 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.

At the port authority, Outlaw will be the deputy chief security officer.

Outlaw, whose last day as commissioner is Sept. 22, leaves months before Kenney’s two terms as mayor come to an end. The mayor has named First Deputy John M. Stanford Jr. as interim police commissioner.

“Commissioner Outlaw has worked relentlessly for three and a half years during an unprecedented era in our city and a number of crisis situations, and she deserves praise for her commitment to bring long-overdue reform to the Department after years of racism and gender discrimination prior to her appointment,” Kenney said. “We wish her success in her new position and thank Commissioner Outlaw for her dedication to serve the residents of Philadelphia.”