Mayor Michelle Wu turned to a homegrown cop with a compelling private story and a few out-of-town baggage for an important choice but of her mayoral time period.
Wu’s number of Michael Cox as Boston Police commissioner was extensively praised in the neighborhood however it stays to be seen whether or not he’ll reside as much as his billing.
His strongest promoting level is definitely a blight on the town’s police division. As an undercover officer with Boston Police, Cox was severely overwhelmed by law enforcement officials who mistook him for the suspect they have been chasing.
Cox sued and obtained a settlement from the town and says the incident has helped form his views of police and racism.
Cox received’t have a lot of an actual honeymoon when he begins subsequent month. He’ll be examined when the primary main public security disaster comes alongside.
He’ll even be underneath stress from Wu and others to embrace reform of the town’s troubled police division however he doesn’t significantly have a report of robust reform but.
As Ann Arbor, Mich., police chief, Cox had a problematic report — he was positioned on paid administrative go away in 2020 amid an investigation into costs that he used improper affect over an inner probe involving a parking supervisor.
While a metropolis investigation discovered “no evidence” that he created a hostile work atmosphere, it did conclude that police division staff “were made very uncomfortable by the Chief’s actions and that they fear retaliation.”
Wu mentioned she was happy after wanting into the case that Cox was nonetheless the suitable man for the job in Boston. She mentioned she knew inside minutes of speaking to Cox that he ought to get the job.
Cox is a robust proponent of “community policing” — which includes police making robust ties with residents in an effort to construct belief and never concern.
But neighborhood policing just isn’t a very new thought — it’s been round for many years — and isn’t essentially a sign that Cox can be a robust voice for reform.
Cox’s choice was the topic of a lot hypothesis and rumors however held underneath tight wraps by the Wu administration till it started to leak out late Tuesday night time.
Before the press convention introducing Cox Wednesday morning, print reporters got a briefing — however TV reporters weren’t allowed, which isn’t an awesome begin for transparency.
But optically the selection was one for Wu, due to Cox returning to the town the place he was tragically overwhelmed.
Cox should cope with a demoralized police power that hasn’t had a everlasting chief for months.
He’ll additionally must deal with calls to defund the police. Half the town council desires to chop the police division price range, although Wu has not endorsed that concept.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”