Oakland's deputy police chief hired to head Portland department

OAKLAND (BCN)-- Oakland Deputy Police Chief Danielle Outlaw has been selected to be the new police chief in Portland, Ore., Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced today.

Outlaw, who has been with the Oakland Police Department for 19 years and has been a deputy chief since 2013, is expected to start her new job no later than Oct. 2, Wheeler said. She will be formally introduced at a
news conference in Portland on Thursday.

Outlaw, who at one point served as the spokeswoman for Oakland police, said in a statement, "My life's passion is policing. I want to make a positive difference in the lives of my fellow officers and the residents of
the community."

Outlaw said, "Portland is an amazing city. I am humbled by the tremendous opportunity in front of me and am ready to get to get to work."

Wheeler said he selected Outlaw based on her ability to provide leadership and supervision to the more than 950 sworn and 270 non-sworn employees in the Portland Police Department, to work effectively with diverse
communities and to lead an organization committed to community policing, transparency and accountability.

Wheeler said he and Outlaw have a shared dedication to improving relationships with Portland's communities of color, increasing diversity and embracing equity.

Wheeler said, "I have concrete goals for the Portland Police Bureau, all of them challenging to achieve."

Wheeler said, "I need a partner. I need a leader. More than that, I need someone with a passion for this work who will be in it for the long haul. Danielle Outlaw is that person."

Outlaw began her career with the Oakland Police Department as a police explorer while she was a student at Holy Names High School in Oakland.

Oakland police officials said Outlaw rose through the ranks, with assignments including patrol, community services, the Office of Chief of Police, the criminal investigation division, public information, internal affairs, the office of inspector general and the bureau of risk management.

Wheeler said Outlaw plans to live within Portland city limits once she starts her new post.

The Oakland Police Department said in a statement that Outlaw "has been a valuable member of the department and serving the citizens of Oakland since 1997."

It said, "The department and the city wish her well in her new position."