Boston Gets 1st Black Commissioner

BOSTON (AP) -- Boston's police department is getting a new leader.

William Gross will become the city's first black police commissioner when he's sworn in on Monday at the Morning Star Baptist Church, where his mother has been a member for 35 years.

Gross takes over from William Evans, who announced last month that he was retiring after nearly 40 years in the department. Evans took a job as police chief at Boston College.

Gross joined the force in 1985 and worked his way up from a patrol officer to its second-in-command in 2014. He has long been one of the public faces of the department and is well-known in the community.

Bishop John M. Borders III will preside over the swearing-in ceremony.

(KA)