I am so honored to be the Police Commissioner of the best police department in the country.  I am deeply grateful to Mayor Walsh for entrusting me with the responsibility to lead the dedicated men and women of this department.  

Starting out as a cadet in 1983, I have had quite a journey to get to this point.  As a proud son of Dorchester and a student of history I am keenly aware of what an awesome responsibility it is to be the first African American to hold this position. While I am very proud of this distinction, I am equally as proud to be representing the officers on the street doing the hard work every day.

I am a product of this city, and I believe in the concept of “it takes a village to raise a child”.  We will take this concept to the next level, expanding and empowering the village to work with us to strengthen and expand community policing.  We will build on what works, but we won’t be afraid to try new things.

Relationships are key to building trust.  Our officers will work hard every day to create and strengthen relationships with the community.   And we will prioritize and emphasize inclusion and diversity in all that we do. Together, we will ensure that all of Boston’s neighborhoods are safe.

I look forward to working closely with the community, members of the Boston Police Department and all of our partners to make Boston the safest city in the country.

Thank you,

William G. Gross
Police Commissioner