Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw posts farewell message as tenure comes to an end

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Danielle Outlaw shared a farewell message as she concludes her tenure as Philadelphia police commissioner.

Outlaw said

she was filled with gratitude and pride in a video posted on the police department's Community and Partnerships YouTube channel.

"When I arrived in this incredible city as your police commissioner in 2020, little did I know that the journey we would embark upon together would field unprecedented challenges. Over the past three-and-a-half years we faced adversity that tested the resilience of our communities, our police force, and our city as a whole," she said.

Those challenges include a record number of homicides in 2021 and navigating the pandemic.

Homicides are down 18 percent since then as Outlaw leaves for a new leadership position with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

First Deputy John Stanford Jr. is taking over as interim police commissioner.

Stanford has 22 years of law enforcement experience.

He joined the Philadelphia Police Department in 2002. Stanford worked his way up the ranks, serving in multiple police districts, south detectives, internal affairs, and as a public information officer.