Portland, Oregon Police Chief Calls It Quits as the City Remains in Freefall

By Ward Clark | 6:54 PM on September 21, 2023

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Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell is calling it quits. Lovell has served the city of Portland as chief for three years, and they have been eventful ones.

Chief Lovell informed the department on Wednesday that he will be retiring on Oct. 11, which is just four years shy of his eligibility to retire, according to The Oregonian.

"Personally, for me, its a time for transition," Lovell told the outlet.

Lovell, a US Air Force veteran who has been with the Portland Police Bureau for 21 years, explained that he took the job as police chief "essentially overnight."

During the height of the Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots of 2020, in which there were months of civil unrest, former PPB Chief Jami Resch abruptly quit her position and appointed Lovell to takeover on June 11, 2020.

For those who might be curious as to why the former Chief, Jami Resch, so suddenly quit, one might look at a few recent RedState stories that present the current state of Portland:

After announcing his departure, Lovell said:

We've started to rebuild and navigate some really tough times. I just want to thank the members of the Portland Police Bureau for the hard work that they do every day on behalf of our city. And I want to thank the community members that have supported me throughout my career.

Portland's Mayor Ted Wheeler, reacting to Lovell's announcement, said he has "nothing but my support, my admiration, and my gratitude for his service."

A replacement has already been named. A retired Portland police officer, Bob Day, is to serve as acting Chief until the 2025 municipal elections, to allow the incoming mayor to name his or her own choice for Chief. Chief Lovell's announcement comes on the heels of Mayor Wheeler's announcement that he would not seek re-election.

During all this, now-Interim Chief Day made an interesting statement:

Day, who served in the PPB for 29 years before retiring, said that he has "hope" for the city which has obvious challenges.

"I am hopeful for this city," he said, according to the outlet. "I see the challenges. I am not naive."

Saying that Portland has "...obvious challenges" may not be the understatement of the month, but it will certainly do until a better one comes along.

It's impossible not to feel some sympathy for Interim Chief Day, as he is inheriting an impossible situation. Portland is a city in free fall. The crime rate is skyrocketing, baffling to the progressive city council which voted in 2020 to defund their police by $15 million. Businesses are fleeing, due to unsafe conditions and runaway theft. Carjackings and robberies are all increasing.

And it's a safe bet that Portlanders will elect another liberal Democrat for Mayor in 2025, after Wheeler retires, presumably, to someplace safer. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Wasn't there some old saying about the definition of sanity? We may well feel some sympathy for Chief Day, but it's hard to muster much for the typical Portland voter. There's an obvious solution for Portland's woes, but the voters apparently can't grasp it.

But at least Oregonians can now pump their own gas.