For the first time ever, Portland, Oregon has appointed an African American woman as its chief of police, Danielle Outlaw.

Outlaw served on the Oakland Police Department for 19 years and began her career in law enforcement as a police explorer while she was still in high school.

According to Oregon Live, Outlaw will be the first black woman to head the force. She will take command in October of this year.

Outlaw, 41, will join the PPD at a very demanding time: relations between civilians and police aren't at their best, and the federal government has ordered that the department institute a long list of reforms.

Still, these challenges should be no problem for Outlaw, who has a long list of accomplishments.

Outlaw has experience with all branches of the force, having worked in patrol, criminal investigation, public information and internal affairs. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in sociology from the University of San Francisco and her master's degree in business administration from Pepperdine University.

Outlaw is also a member of the National Organization for Black Law Enforcement Executives and the vice president of the San Francisco Bay Area National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.

With all that under her belt, it is no surprise that Portland's mayor, Ted Wheeler, has the utmost confidence in Outlaw.

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

John Burris, a civil rights lawyer and founder of National Police Accountability Practice said, "I think [Outlaw will] be an excellent chief. She certainly has the ideas and thoughtfulness to do it. She's a commanding person. She might be slightly built but she has a strong voice.''

Burris recently won a settlement of $989,000 against Oakland police in a sex scandal case according to CBS San Francisco Bay Area.

Community leaders, like the chairman of the Albina Ministries, Reverend T. Allen Bethel also felt encouraged by Outlaw. A member of the panel that conducted interviews for the job, Bethel said of Outlaw, "Personally, I believe we needed someone from the outside to come and look at the bureau with a fresh eye."

Outlaw herself had the following to say:

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

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