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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 24 July 2018

Veteran officer to

be Boston's 1st black

police commissioner

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER 2014.
BOSTON (AP) — A 33- "He's the right person at the
year veteran of Boston's right time for this job," Walsh
police force was named said.
the city's first black police Boston hasn't seen the
commissioner on Monday, violent clashes between
ushering in a new era for police and residents
a city that long struggled sparked in other cities by
with perceptions of racism. the shootings of black
William Gross, who will men. But activists have
replace Commissioner long complained the city's
William Evans, pledged police force is too white.
to continue working to The department faced
strengthen relationships heavy criticism earlier this In this Jan. 20, 2015 file photo, Boston Police Superintendent-in-Chief William Gross walks through
between police and their year when it posted a a door of a hospital in Boston.
communities and combat Black History Month tweet Associated Press
what he called "senseless celebrating the late, former
youth violence." Boston Celtics coach of South Boston, lost both rest, saying he sleeps with "I never dreamed of the
"If you want change, be Arnold "Red" Auerbach, of his parents at a young one eye open out of fear day I would be up here as
the change. That's why I who's white. Evans later age and was raised by for a late-night call with commissioner," Evans said.
became a police officer," apologized, calling the his older brothers, one of bad news. "It's been a great ride."q
Gross told reporters after tweet "insensitive." whom served as police
Democratic Mayor Marty And the department came commissioner before him.
Walsh announced his under fire that same month He started as a cadet in
promotion. after a widely shared video 1980 and rose through
Evans, who has served as showed a white officer the ranks, eventually
the city's top cop since stopping and questioning becoming superintendent,
2014, is retiring after nearly a black man who was on overseeing special events
40 years on the force to his way to a barbershop. and the department's
become police chief at Civil rights activists said patrol division.
Boston College. the confrontation was He was a key player in
Gross, 56, has long been indicative of the way law the investigation into the
one of the public faces of enforcement routinely view marathon bombing that
the department and is well- black men with suspicion. killed three spectators
known in the community. Tanisha Sullivan, president and injured more than 260
He became a patrol officer of the Boston branch of others. An avid runner,
in 1985 and worked in the the NAACP, said anytime Evans finished the race
gang and drug control a person of color ascends before the bombs went
units before becoming to a leadership position off and then returned to
night commander in is a reason for hope. But help his colleagues in the
2012. He was named the she said it will only matter manhunt for the Tsarnaev
department's first black if Gross is given a voice at brothers.
superintendent in chief in the table with city leaders He was named interim
and is empowered to lead commissioner in November
the department forward. 2013 after the resignation
"It's really not a win unless of Edward Davis and was
and until we are able to appointed to the post
see evidence to suggest permanently in 2014.
that Chief Gross — now Evans had tears in his eyes
Commissioner Gross — has as he explained it's time
been able to activate the for him to slow down and
power of his diversity and spend more time with his
we'll know that by the family.
direction the department He joked that he's looking
goes in." Evans, a native forward to getting more