Michael P. Norton
State House News Service
The outgoing Walsh administration announced Thursday morning that Boston Police Commissioner Willie Gross, who has been weighing a run for mayor, is retiring on Friday.
Walsh named BPD Superintendent Dennis White to succeed Gross and said White will become the second African American to serve as commissioner, following Gross, who was the first.
White, who serves as chief of staff under Gross, will take over the top job in the department on Friday on an acting basis, with a swearing-in planned in the coming days, according to Walsh's office.
"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. 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," Walsh said in a statement. "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."