William G. Gross


William G. Gross is an American police officer currently serving as the 42nd Commissioner of the Boston Police Department.

Early life

William Gross was born in rural Maryland to a single mother, the middle of three children, and moved to Boston at the age of 12. He graduated from Boston Technical High School. He then entered the Boston Police Cadet Program, becoming a Patrol Officer two years later.
Gross earned an Associate in Science degree in Criminal Justice from Quincy College in 2017.

Boston Police Department

As a Patrol Officer, Gross served in the Gang Unit and the Drug Control Unit, and later was an instructor at the Boston Police Academy. He achieved the ranks of Sergeant and Sergeant Detective, and then became Deputy Superintendent in 2008, where he worked with District Captains to develop strategies to address crime trends and attended community meetings to address specific neighborhood crime concerns. In 2010, he became commander of the Field Support Division, which includes the Youth Violence Strike Force and the School Police Unit. In 2012, he was promoted to Superintendent, Night Commander, responsible for oversight of all police responses to incidents on a citywide basis at night.

Commissioner

On August 6, 2018, Mayor Marty Walsh officiated the ceremony during which Gross was sworn in as the new commissioner of the Boston Police Department.