PHILADELPHIA— Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who emerged as a national leader on community policing amid tensions between officers and those they protect, announced Wednesday he will retire after a 47-year law enforcement career that also included stints in his native Chicago and Washington.
Ramsey’s exit coincides with the end of term-limited Mayor Michael Nutter’s eight-year tenure. Nutter, then newly elected, lured Ramsey from retirement after an at-times tumultuous nine-year run as the police chief Washington, D.C.
“I came out of retirement to come to Philadelphia and work for him, and I’m honored to be able to leave with him as well,” Ramsey said. “A leader is only as good as the people working for him, and we have an outstanding group of individuals in the department.”
