Boston Police Commissioner William Gross Retiring

BOSTON — Police Commissioner William Gross, the first Black person to lead the department, is set to retire from the force on Friday amid speculation he may be running to be the city's next mayor, despite a report insisting otherwise.

Mayor Marty Walsh named Boston Police Superintendent Dennis White Gross's replacement, the administration announced Thursday morning. White will be the second Black person in the position.

Gross has said as recently as this month he is considering a run for mayor after being approached by people who said he should try to lead the city. WBZ reported soon after Thursday's announcement that Gross would not be running for mayor, saying he had considered it but would like to spend more time with his family.

Three people have announced their candidacy to replace Walsh — all women of color who serve on the Boston City Council. Annissa Essaibi George began her campaign Thursday morning, joining Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell, both of whom announced they were running before President Joe Biden picked Walsh to be his labor secretary. City Council President Kim Janey is set to take the role of acting Boston mayor and could also run with the power of the incumbency behind her.

Walsh will go to Washington if and when he's confirmed by the U.S. Senate. His confirmation hearing has not been scheduled.

There is a growing push to cancel a special election if Walsh leaves before March 5. The preliminary election is scheduled for September with a general to follow in November.

Gross was tapped to lead the department in 2018, when Commissioner Bill Evans announced his retirement after some four decades leading the department.

"I want to thank Commissioner Gross from the bottom of my heart for his 37 years of service to the Boston Police Department and for his two and a half years leading the department as Commissioner," Walsh said in a statement. "Throughout his decorated career, he's always embodied the spirit of community policing that is so important to building trust with the people we serve. Anyone who knows Willie can instantly feel his love for the job and his passion for keeping communities safe. No matter the situation, his warm smile, dedication, and love for meeting people made him uniquely capable of taking on the toughest challenges."

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Boston Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook.