Milton Resident to be honored by RFK Children's Action Corps

William Gross, Superintendent-in-Chief for the Boston Police Department, goes above and beyond for at-risk youth in the community. From taking teens to see the movie, “Selma” in conjunction with a civil rights lesson plan, to shopping alongside families for holiday gifts and promotes innovative violence prevention programs for young adults in their own neighborhoods, he is a driving force for racial and social justice in Boston.

Chief Gross is a model for black and brown children everywhere. He started life as a farm boy, raised by his grandmother and a group of Vietnam veterans in rural Maryland. He was taught by his grandmother to read by the age of four, studying the bible and hard cover encyclopedias. He channeled his energy into football when he moved to Dorchester at the age of 12 to be with his mother and sisters at the height of forced busing and the desegregation of Boston Public Schools. His office, often referred to as his “museum,” is covered in news clips and other memorabilia from what he says is his greatest teacher: American history. Chief Gross never met his father.

In 2014, Chief Gross was named the first African American Police Chief in the history of the Boston Police Department. He has built a reputation for running one of the most open, engaged and diverse command centers. On June 1, he will be honored by the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps with the Embracing the Legacy award at the JFK Library in Boston.

“I grew up watching police shows and westerns on television with my grandmother asking me questions about morals, race relations and social justice throughout the shows,” says Chief Gross. “My mother and grandmother taught me three very important lessons: To create change, you need to be the change. Sometimes those oppressed have to teach the oppressors. And, never forget where you came from.”

These are lessons Chief Gross aims to instill in cadets and young officers. On a daily basis, he oversees a department of nearly 3000; 2,200 Sworn and 900 Civilian employees. In addition to administrative work, he is responsible for making sure members are engaged in the department’s programs, including Operation Ceasefire, a problem-solving police strategy that seeks to reduce gang violence, illegal gun possession, and gun violence in communities; Operation Homefront, a collaboration between law enforcement and community- and faith-based organizations designed to engage families as the first line of defense against gang and criminal activity among youth; and YouthConnect, a nationally recognized partnership between the Boston Police Department and Boys & Girls Club that places social workers in district stations for Boston neighborhoods to work with at-risk youth and their families.

“My position allows me the opportunity to teach people no matter where you hail from, a dirt poor farm to a tough city community, that you can pursue your dreams, but you have to meet people half way – no one will give you anything,” says Chief Gross. “You have to learn from mistakes; learn to stay positive when labeled by negative stereotypes based on people’s adverse experiences, learn from your own experiences and become a better person every day.”

Going above and beyond the call of duty, Chief Gross also sits on the board for a number of nonprofits, including Boston Center for Youth & Families, My Brother’s Keeper, The Justice George Lewin Ruffin Society, Special Olympics of Massachusetts, New England Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company and Police Training Institute. His passion for helping others, his dedication to the Boston Police Department and the impact he has made across the city of Boston are the reasons why he is receiving the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps Embracing the Legacy award.

“Chief Gross exemplifies Robert F. Kennedy’s expectation that we as individuals have a responsibility to our fellow citizens and communities,” says Ed Kelley, CEO of RFK Children’s Action Corps. “He understands our community and is a passionate advocate for better child welfare programs and services throughout the city.”

On the 50th anniversary of the passing of Robert F. Kennedy, for whom the nonprofit was named, the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps embarks upon its fifth decade of service to Massachusetts’ most vulnerable youth. Founded in June 1969, the organization continues to serve and honor the late Senator’s belief that society has a responsibility to all of its members, and that lasting contributions are first made by improving the lives of children and their families. To date, the Massachusetts-based agency, a national leader in developing and implementing successful child welfare, social service and juvenile justice programs, has impacted more than tens of thousands of children and families.