Philly Police Commissioner Won't Resign After Unrest Report

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Police Commissioner said she will not resign following a scathing report on the city's response to protests and other unrest in summer last year during George Floyd protests.

At a news conference Thursday, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said she would not resign on the heels of the report, which was issued by the City Controller's Office Wednesday.

"I have not been asked to resign, nor will I resign, due to the report's finding," she said.

While Outlaw said she is appreciative for the review of protest responses, but overall criticized the controller's office report.

The report says Outlaw sought to use tear gas during the summer's in the city. She did so even as Mayor Jim Kenney, who is also lambasted in the report, hesitated to approve using the gas.

The use of tear gas on protesters who took over a portion of Interstate 676 and 52nd Street in West Philadelphia became the target of much scrutiny, leading Outlaw and Kenney to apologize for using the gas. However, the apologies only came after Pennsylvania State Police dashboard camera footage and New York Times report contradicted the narrative of the events given by Outlaw and Kenney.

"The investigation found that the use of force, particularly [tear] gas, throughout the unrest was inappropriate," the report states. "[Tear] gas had not been used in Philadelphia for crowd control or First Amendment activity since the 1985 MOVE bombing. However, as detailed in the report, [tear] gas was used several times, in several locations during the unrest. On 52nd Street in particular, [tear] gas was used indiscriminately on a half-mile area, affecting bystanders and peaceful protesters, in addition to those engaging in illegal activity."

Outlaw called the comparison to the MOVE bombing "repugnant" and "disingenuous" during the news conference.

"This disparate editorial dialog seems to politicize the events that our city faced over the summer by combining it with a bombing hat dates back to the previous generations and administrations," she said.

In October 2020, the city moved to ban the use of tear gas against protesters

Outlaw joined the Philadelphia Police Department in February 2020 after former Commissioner Richard Ross stepped down amid allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination in the department.

She came to the PPD from Portland, Oregon, where her response to 2019 protests was also scrutinized.

Outlaw started her career in law enforcement about 20 years ago in Oakland, California.

She presented a TED Talk on police and community relations back in 2018, highlighting issues and possible solutions to strained relations.

"Modern policing is data-driven, but the paramount factor is not so easily quantified: trust — the trust residents have that their police force will keep them safe and treat them with respect," she said upon entering the Philadelphia Police Department. "I am convinced that trust can be restored, here and across the nation. I am convinced community-police relations can be rebuilt and fortified through dialogue, transparency, and accountability."

The report also says Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel, who serves as the city's Office of Emergency Management director, "viewed OEM’s role in a more limited fashion than past independent directors" which may have led to a less-than adequate response to the unrest in late May and early June.

"Additionally, the investigation states that pursuant to the City’s Emergency Operations Plan, the ultimate responsibility for any City response lies with the Mayor," the report states. "As such, the Mayor himself did not demonstrate the leadership that was required of him during the unrest."

Another aspect of the report focuses on the various responses police had to unrest, specifically citing an incident in the Fishtown neighborhood in which "a group of mostly white men carrying baseball bats and golf clubs were not met with the same force by police as those gathered on 52nd Street or I-676." Arrests for assault were later made in connection with the Fishtown incident.

The report also claims the city was, overall, unprepared for the events that unfolded and that insufficient resources were allocated to address the unrest.

"As many Philadelphians expressed their First Amendment rights and justified anger in the days following George Floyd’s murder, our government failed us,” City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart said in the report. "While top City officials stated that there was no way to plan for what happened, that’s just not true. A blueprint for maintaining peace during large events and protests did exist and if it had been followed, many of these failures could have been avoided. This lack of preparation had cascading negative consequences. From inadequate staffing levels that led to increased and excessive force, to looting throughout the city continuing without challenge for hours at a time, this type of failure – of planning and leadership – cannot happen again."

Outlaw countered that, saying authorities did not have a blueprint to follow due to the scope of the protests and unrest.

The report recommends the Office of Emergency Management return to its previous status as a stand-alone agency with an independent director, and the Police Department ensure all key positions, most notably the Inspector of Homeland Security, are filled.

Additional recommendations include improving future responses and enhancing policies, procedures and training, such as using established blueprints from policing past large-scale events successfully and beginning the planning process as soon as intelligence indicating the potential for civil unrest becomes available, as well as establishing clearer policies and procedures around the use of tear gas.

Outlaw said many of the recommendations in the report are already being considered and taken by the police department.