Portland chief promotes first transgender officer to captain

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw has chosen Pride Week to announce the promotion of the first transgender officer to hold the rank of captain in the police bureau.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Stephanie Lourenco will supervise the bureau’s traffic division.

Outlaw says she wanted to highlight Lourenco’s accomplishments during Pride Week but didn’t want to diminish the fact that the promotion is based on her skills and abilities.

Lourenco joined the bureau in 1999 and most recently served as a lieutenant in the family services division. In 2012, Lourenco volunteered to appear in the bureau’s “It Gets Better” video, where officers shared personal experiences as members of the LGBTQ community.

Twenty years ago, Lourenco founded Transgender Community of Police Officers/Sheriffs with other transgender officers across the country. The group provides support and encouragement to its members.

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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com