Walsh has replacement lined up for outgoing BPD commissioner

Statement by DA Dan Conley:

The Boston Police Commissioner's job is a massive and multi-faceted management responsibility, but Bill Evans approached it with a deeply personal touch. His love for the city and its residents is matched only by his pride in the department he's served for almost 40 years. As Superintendent-in-Chief, Willie Gross has shown that very same commitment to serving the city's residents with the finest police force in the country. I have every confidence in his leadership and I commend Mayor Walsh for this decision.

We've all seen Commissioner Evans on television or at a crime scene after something terrible happens. But we've also seen him in every neighborhood of the city for park openings, church services, and flashlight walks, night and day, when there wasn't a camera in sight. He's deeply connected with the schools, churches, businesses, and people who make Boston what it is. Those connections have strengthened the relationship between residents and law enforcement and he should take great pride in that accomplishment.

Superintendent Gross has shown that very same devotion to the city's residents and has decades of his own experience to guide him. Having worked with Willie for many years, I know he brings the highest traditions of law enforcement to the job along with a modern view of policing and community engagement. He will be an outstanding leader in his own right and has my full support moving forward.

Commissioner Evans wanted the very best for people of Boston, and he gave them a police force that really leads the nation at a critical time in our city's history. His unassuming demeanor masks a leader who was fiercely committed to leading a department that would embody the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and innovation and it made him one of the very best partners we as prosecutors could ask for. It has been my privilege and blessing to work with Bill Evans. I'm sorry to see him go, but he leaves the Boston Police Department in very good hands with Commissioner Gross. Both men have my best and warmest wishes as they take on their new responsibilities.