Recognizing the difficult

As Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw prepares to go to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Philadelphia’s politicos recognized that she navigated a rocky road.

By Denise Clay-Murray

The denizens of the Social Media Site Formerly Known As Twitter rejoiced with the news that Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw was headed to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to become their Deputy Chief Security Officer.

Outlaw, the first Black woman to ever hold the post, announced she was leaving the City on Tuesday, 3 1/2 years after coming to Philadelphia from Portland, Oregon. 

First Deputy Commissioner John M. Stanford will serve as interim commissioner. He is a 22-year veteran of law enforcement and has been a member of the Philadelphia Police Department since 2002.

From the moment she came to town in February 2020, Outlaw was hit with everything from a rising gun violence rate to a pandemic that impacted the number of personnel she had to work with and some pretty prominent missteps including tear gassing protestors on I-676 during the George Floyd protests.

During the 2023 Mayoral Primary, Outlaw’s tenure as the city’s top cop was a campaign issue. While most of the candidates said they wouldn’t discuss it because it was a personnel issue, some called for her firing.

The two people competing for the right to decide who the next police commissioner will be wished Outlaw well in her next chapter and praised her for trying to do a difficult job under less than stellar circumstances.

Democratic candidate Cherelle Parker stands to become the first woman to occupy the mayor’s office should she win. She was also a member of council during the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Outlaw had a lot of things thrown at her, but she made a good effort to catch them all, Parker said.

“As it relates to our great city, there is no police commissioner who has ever dealt with the tornado of black swan events that Commissioner Outlaw was forced to reckon with during her tenure,” Parker said in a statement. “While there will be many Monday morning quarterbacks second guessing her performance and decision-making, I have nothing but a great deal of respect and admiration for the job that she has done for our city. We should remember her name because I know we will be hearing about her distinguished work in whatever capacity she chooses in the future – that is one thing I know for sure.”

Republican candidate David Oh sympathized with Outlaw.

“I appreciated her responsiveness and professionalism under very difficult circumstances,” he said in a statement. “No sooner had she arrived when she had to lead the Police Department through the outbreak of COVID-19, George Floyd civil unrest, defund the police movement and the Mayor and District Attorney’s weak on crime policies. I felt she was disadvantaged by an Administration that had strained relations with its police force. wish Police Commissioner Outlaw well in her new position.”

While he also wished Outlaw well, District Attorney Larry Krasner cautioned city officials not to use her departure as an excuse to go back to things that didn’t work when it comes to police/community relations. 

“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,” Krasner said. “Earning the trust of the public is critical to securing safety and peace in all communities.”

City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, chair of Council’s Special Committee on Gun Violence and co-chair of the body’s Public Safety Committee, praised Outlaw for her assistance with his community violence prevention efforts.

He hopes that her successor continues with what worked within the department during her tenure.

“She brought a fresh perspective to fighting crime in Philadelphia during her tenure,” he said. “Her vision for the Philadelphia Police Department was for it to continue to be a leader in national best practices while raising the bar on professionalism and accountability to the citizens of Philadelphia. I would hope that the next permanent Philadelphia Police commissioner continues necessary improvements to the nation’s fourth largest police department and continues to make fighting gun violence in our city a number one priority.” 

Outlaw’s last day with the Philadelphia Police Department will be Sept. 22.