Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey will retire at year’s end, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. Earlier this year, Ramsey, 65, seemed open to staying on as commissioner after Mayor Michael Nutter’s tenure ends in January. “I feel pretty good,” he said in March. “We’ve been through a lot, but I feel the department is making progress. Whenever people start to anticipate what may or may not occur, there’s not really a whole lot you can do other than focus on doing your job. Ramsey was co-chair of President Obama’s Task Force On 21st Century Policing and has held leadership positions in other major law enforcement organizations.
Deputy Commissioner Richard Ross has long been viewed by department insiders as the likely successor to Ramsey. Other candidates, including public transit Police Chief Tom Nestel, could emerge. Democratic mayoral candidate Jim Kenney, who was endorsed by Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5, has said he wouldn’t look outside the department for Ramsey’s replacement.