Portland's Tarnished Penny

Penny Harrington became the first woman police chief in a big U.S. city the hard way: besides proving her abilities as an effective officer, she filed some 40 sex-discrimination complaints against Portland's police bureau, consistently winning them to keep rising in the ranks. Since her appointment to chief in January 1985, Harrington, 44, has discovered that running the city's 760-member force has been just as much of a struggle as her 21-year climb to the top.

After jumping from crisis to crisis, Harrington last week faced problems that were both professional and personal. Her husband, Police Officer Bruce Gary Harrington, was under departmental investigation for allegedly informing a businessman friend, Robert Lee, that Lee was among the suspects in a citywide crackdown on cocaine. Gary Harrington then filed for a paid disability leave, claiming that the investigation by the department headed by his wife was causing him stress and depression.

For Penny Harrington, turmoil is not unusual. She had been in office only a month when a city budget crisis forced her to fire 16 police officers and leave 60 vacancies unfilled, outraging the force. Ordered by Mayor Bud Clark to give priority to cutting Portland's high burglary rate, which topped the nation's three years running, Harrington created a juvenile division that worked to prevent truancy, thus reducing daytime burglaries. But to pay for it she eliminated the vice and drug division, giving its duties to already overworked detectives and precinct officers. Critics charged that this led to an increase in Portland's drug trade.

Through no fault of Harrington's, Portland's criminals are often returned to the streets soon after conviction because the city's jails are too full to house them. For four years in a row Portland voters have refused to approve funds for more cells. Due to overcrowding, some 7,500 offenders were given citations last year instead of jail sentences. "It's insane," protested Harrington. "We're recycling the same criminals over and over again."

The chief has further angered her subordinates by limiting smoking on the job. Each precinct is allowed only one office and one squad car in which smoking is permitted. Harrington has reprimanded officers who abuse citizens. Last year she banned the use of the carotid ("sleeper") hold after a Portland policeman used the neck grip and inadvertently killed a black security guard who had no criminal record. Two officers responded to the ban by selling T shirts inscribed DON'T CHOKE 'EM. SMOKE 'EM. Harrington had the officers fired, but they were reinstated by an arbitrator.

Other officers complain that the chief's brother-in-law and sister hold high positions in the police bureau. One unfairly describes the force as a "family-owned business since 1985."

A police-union poll taken last fall showed that 91% of 481 officers who responded rated the chief's performance as "poor" or "below average." Morale on the force, 90% of whose members are men, is still falling. Nevertheless, Harrington argues that her policies will bring long-term results. To her critics, she says cuttingly, "The kind of people who are in law enforcement for the excitement are very much opposed to what I'm trying to do."

So far, the chief has not been blamed by most residents for the police problems, and her ready access to community groups has created a reserve of goodwill. But there is a growing feeling that her latest difficulties may leave Portland's bright Penny somewhat tarnished.