Since taking over earlier this month, Police Chief Danielle Outlaw hasn’t been willing to talk about leadership changes she might enact at the Portland Police Bureau, but at least one fairly large change could go into effect as early as next week.
Outlaw, a former deputy chief at the Oakland Police Department, is now on the verge of creating a deputy chief position in Portland. The new position would serve as Outlaw’s second-in-command, acting as a buffer between her and the PPB’s three assistant chiefs, who’ve traditionally reported directly to the police chief.
“I think she found that configuration of leadership staff useful,” says Anna Kanwit, the city’s human resources director. “That will free her up some because she won’t have as many direct reports as she otherwise would.”
The PPB hasn’t responded to requests for details about the position—including whether Outlaw has already tapped a deputy chief—but Portland City Council appears primed to approve the move. An ordinance creating the brand-new job classification appears on the “consent agenda” for next week’s council meeting, which suggests it’s got widespread council backing.
According to an impact statement filed with the ordinance, the position carries a maximum salary of $186,576, plus benefits and perks like a take-home car. The new salary will require a budget adjustment for the PPB, the statement says.
The deputy chief will assist Outlaw with “planning, directing, managing, and overseeing the activities and operations of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and all its branches,” the filing says.
Kanwit says Outlaw has very few limitations when it comes to picking her second-in-command. The hire could come from within the PPB, as assistant chiefs typically do, or Outlaw could bring someone over from her time in Oakland.
Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office, which requested the new position on Outlaw’s behalf, referred questions to the PPB, which, again, hasn’t gotten back to us.
Update, Monday: PPB spokesperson Sergeant Chris Burley tells the Mercury that Outlaw believes the new position “will provide her the opportunity to focus on the strategic goals of the organization.” PPB would post the for both internal and external applicants if approved, Burley says.
So we now need two people to perform the duties that have been handled by one? Or did we choose to hire someone who simply cannot fulfill the duties they interviewed for?
@oregonjelly agreed, ones first major action in a new job shouldn’t be to say, this job is hard I need to pay someone around 200k per year to help me do it.
Portland is a bigger city than it used to be. People are constantly complaining the police aren’t doing a good job. If part of that is bureaucratic overload at the top, then delegation makes sense. We will see if this improves anything going forward, if not the position could always be eliminated in subsequent years.
Why would she change anything, when things at PPB have been going so well lately?
Another waste of taxpayers money to the tune of a six figure salary. If she was truly that experienced, qualified, and professional she should be able to do the job having three assistant Chiefs reporting to her instead of one.