Resignation as Portland Police Chief

On June 2, 1986, after roughly seventeen months as chief, Penny Harrington resigned from her post as head of the Portland Police Bureau.[7][11][13] The immediate catalyst was an investigative commission report that criticized her leadership and faulted her for alleged conflicts involving her then‑husband, a bureau officer accused of tipping off a friend about a drug investigation.[7][11][13] Under mounting political and internal pressure, Harrington stepped down, ending the first tenure of a woman leading a major U.S. police department.

The resignation highlighted the intense backlash that can accompany barrier‑breaking leadership. While male chiefs routinely weathered internal opposition, Harrington faced scrutiny often framed through gendered assumptions about authority, decisiveness, and propriety. The commission’s findings were widely reported, but supporters argued that much of the resistance stemmed from her efforts to change the department’s culture—curbing misconduct, strengthening neighborhood policing, and enforcing anti‑discrimination standards.[1][3][9][11]

Historically, June 2, 1986 marks a turning point rather than an endpoint in Harrington’s influence. After leaving the bureau, she pivoted to investigative work with the California State Bar and later co‑founded the National Center for Women & Policing, using her experience to advocate nationally for structural reforms and greater representation of women in law enforcement.[3][9][10][11] Her resignation underscored how fragile gains can be when pioneers challenge entrenched systems, but it also galvanized broader conversations about police accountability and the need for institutional support for women leaders. In women’s history, the episode illustrates the complex, often contested path of the first woman to lead a major American police department.