30-Year Veteran of Boston PD Named Commissioner

Michael Cox, a 30-year veteran of the Boston Police Department who rose through the ranks before taking a job to helm a department in Ann Arbor, Michigan three years ago, has been selected by Mayor Michelle Wu to become the city’s next police commissioner.

Cox, 57, was chosen by Wu following a six-month search process that yielded four finalists vying to succeed former Commissioner Dennis White, who was fired by acting Mayor Kim Janey last year after an investigation into domestic abuse allegations against him.

Cox, a Roxbury native and longtime Dorchester resident, called the transition a homecoming for him, and placed an emphasis on making sure officers have departmental support, Boston.com reports.

“They need to be educated, they need to be developed around all the things that we need to do to make sure that we’re on the cutting edge of meeting the public’s needs,” Cox said.

Cox is slated to begin his new job on Aug. 15.