Celebrate but work remains for community
Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s appointment of police Superintendent-in-Chief William Gross as the city’s first African-American police commissioner is definitely cause for celebration.
It’s been a long time coming. And not for lack of trying for decades now. In all fairness, most would agree that Gross has more than earned this spot.
He has been a steady hand in partnership with departing Commissioner William Evans and a major contributing factor in preventing Boston from exploding in the kind of violence that impacted other cities during the rash of recent police shootings of unarmed black men.
Gross, who grew up in a community impacted by violence, will be looked at to come up with solutions to help reverse that course.
Make no mistake, just because he is African-American will not automatically defuse the disproportionate violence in communities of color. There is still some real work to be done to mend trust between the police and community. That will not change solely by his appointment. But Gross brings with him an ability to listen, a thoughtfulness for problem solving and a respect for community input and engagement.
So the hope will be that more problems impacting communities where violence is on the upswing will be solved with him in charge because he knows the terrain. He will definitely be looked at to change some things long deemed unfair, such as the lack of diversity in the police ranks.
You can expect that organizations such as the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and the NAACP will continue to be on the case to push for more diversity despite Gross’ appointment. And that’s a good thing.
Gross has to know he has a big and multi-layered job ahead of him. After all, he is responsible for the whole city. But while crime is down in the city as a whole, it remains a constant and pressing concern in communities of color.
As a black man, Gross will be looked at to do more in those communities because more will be expected of him.
Congratulations, Commissioner Gross!