After three and a half years at the helm of the Philadelphia Police Department, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw is resigning.

According to a statement from Mayor James Kenney, Outlaw, Philadelphia's first black female police commissioner, will resign on September 22 to become a deputy security director at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as Fox 29 reported.

"It has been my honor and privilege to serve during Mayor Kenney’s administration and alongside each member of the Philadelphia Police Department," Outlaw said. "The hard work, resilience, and professionalism of our force is truly commendable.

Response from Local Authorities

Her departure comes just months before Kenney leaves office and as the Philadelphia Police Department faces mounting criticism for its handling of the city's recent spike in lethal gun violence.

"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 stated in a release.

After three trying years on the job, which began just before the pandemic lockdowns and continued through the summer of 2020's major protests in Philadelphia and around the country over the police murders of Black people, she has decided to exit the position.

Local Political Climate

John M. Stanford, Jr., formerly Outlaw's first deputy, has been designated temporary Police Commissioner by the Mayor.

Breitbart News reported that Outlaw resigned after three shooters killed one person and injured eight others at a recent block party in the city

Stanford added that, “Philadelphia’s Office of Controller pointed out there have been 270 homicides in the city thus far in 2023. Nearly 250 of those homicide victims were killed with guns.”

Additionally, Philadelphia is facing a crisis with tranq — also known as Xylazine —addicts roving near Kensington and Allegheny Avenues as a result of the region's drug epidemic.

The "zombie drug" causes users' tissues to rot, resulting in amputations.

“It’s called Xylazine, or tranq, an animal tranquilizer cut with America’s street drug of the moment, fentanyl,” Sky News reported in February.

Breitbart News reported in January that more than 500 homicides occurred in Mayor Jim Kenney's (D) Philadelphia in 2022, “making 2022 the second consecutive year that the threshold of at least 500 homicides has been reached.”

Kenny had nothing but kind words for the outgoing chief, in reference positively to Outlaw's work and attempts to implement change within the agency.