Mayor Walsh announced today he's appointing interim Police Commissioner William Evans as permanent police commissioner:
Commissioner Evans has been an exceptional leader to the Boston Police Department, and public safety is one of my biggest priorities. Commissioner Evans has been an invaluable resource to me during this transition period, and I know that his expertise and governance of the Police Department will be a key component to my Administration.
Mayor Menino appointed Evans, a 31-year veteran of the department, as interim commissioner last fall, after Commissioner Ed Davis retired.
Evans's brother Paul served as police commissioner in the 1990s.
Boston Strong: Hub Police Superintendent William Evans, BS '82, has a "kill them with kindness" approach to law enforcement. Just don't mess with his city.
Ed. note: This post originally had a quote attributed to Walsh that, in fact, was something Menino said when he appointed Evans as interim commissioner. The new mayor's office essentially re-used the old mayor's press release, by mistake, it says, and issued a really new press release about 2 1/2 hours later.
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Comments
right, because things are going so awesome at BPD
By anon
Tue, 01/07/2014 - 11:09pm
Shame we've got an new mayor but the same crap at BPD.
How low does the homicide clearance rate have to go before someone does something?
Remember, people: this is the guy who used to supervise "patrols", those mythical things where officers actually spend time in the neighborhoods.
The only time I've ever seen a cop drive through my area was to go for lunch.
Well, then be thankful
By BostonUrbEx
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 10:08am
Well, then be thankful that your area is safe. I see BPD driving up and down Heath St maybe 50% of the time I walk down the street.
I'm not saying things are wonderful or this guy is a good pick, but I see the officers out there. Are they ALL doing their job? Maybe not, but there's officers out there.
EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm not saying he's a bad pick, either. I have no opinion of him. I've never met him, nor do I know him. Just saying it's absurd to say no police are out doing patrols.
Then I'll say it
By Stevil
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 9:55am
I only had a chance to meet him briefly at a couple of neighborhood meetings a few years ago when he was our district captain. I have followed his career in the press since. I have NEVER heard a person speak ill of Bill Evans. Quite the contrary his work ethic and just plain old ethics - as well as his soft spoken approach to policing - have been praised by every person who has ever dealt with him.
Nobody's perfect - especially in a job that requires so many different personal skills - but Bill Evans by all reports is a great cop and a wonderful man. Boston is lucky to have him at the helm during a major transition.
Good luck Commissioner!
A great guy and a great cop,
By brianjdamico
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 11:13am
A great guy and a great cop, I've had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions. The way he conducts himself professionally and personally is something to be admired, and he's definitely the right choice for the job.
Bigotry again..
By jakester
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 8:21am
And right on schedule, here comes anon oozing prejudice. Evans is a true cop. He worked his way up through the ranks and has an outstanding record of achievement on the force. But remember, Evans is a White Irish Catholic male from South Boston; therefore, as far as anon and the other bigoted moonbats are concerned, he should be disqualified. Time for YOU to grow up anon.
Sounds like somebody's feeling a bit too oppressed today
By adamg
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 8:26am
I agree with you about Evans as a cop. But seriously? Somebody complains about lack of police presence and that equates to hating the Irish of South Boston?
In anon's case - yes.
By jakester
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 10:27am
In anon's case - yes. Judging by so many of his posts on this blog, I say hating the Irish of South Boston describes him perfectly.
You know that "anon" isn't just one person, right?
By MC Slim JB
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 10:45am
There are probably dozens of people being allowed to post here without a verified identity under the "anon" name.
MC Slim JB
By anon and proud of it
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 11:39am
And that's your real name?
It's a "unique identifier"
By ECG
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 11:51am
It may not be his real name, but it's his "online identity." Unless someone hijacks it, we assume that the comments posted under MC Slim JB (and not just on this site!) are all attributable to the same person. Anon? Dime a dozen. Try to keep up.
Not just an online identity
By MC Slim JB
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 1:48pm
It's the professional pen name under which I've been writing restaurant reviews and food/drink features for a dozen local and national publications over the past eight years. It's also the name I post under at Chowhound, Yelp, here, and a few other places, mostly to comment on the local restaurant and food scene. It's also a verified identity on Universal Hub, which makes it harder for a would-be impersonator to pretend they're me.
The point is that anybody can, and many people do, post under the generic "anon" moniker here, something that unverified user jakester didn't seem to grasp.
My question is
By Waquiot
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 2:23pm
Do you MC is your spare time?
Not a real emcee
By MC Slim JB
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 2:54pm
Just a wannabe.
Poppycock!
By CraigInDaVille
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 12:07pm
Why, next you'll be insisting that this "404" message I see all the time isn't some Internet hacker following me around my AOL keyword searches! Harrrumph!
Remember
By bulgingbuick
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 8:30am
a homicide clearance requires cooperation from witnesses and the community. Evans has and will demonstrate an ability to build cooperation, trust and partnership within neighborhoods. The butt hurt haters will eat crow.
Not to mention homicide
By brianjdamico
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 11:10am
Not to mention homicide investigation was one of the things in BPD Evans was not in charge of as Superintendent, so its not really a fair claim to mention the homicide clearance rate in terms of Evans being "more of the same" at the top. He ran Field Services, which oversees patrol, etc. while Investigative Services contains the homicide unit reporting to a different Superintendent.
He seems like a righteous guy
By kvn
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 10:38am
He seems like a righteous guy , give him a chance.
Go n-eiri leat ,Liam !
"Bigoted." You keep using that word...
By erik g
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 10:39am
Yeah, it's a real banner moment when an old white guy from Southie manages to make it to a position of importance, what with all the opposition he must face from liberal bigotry. How I dream of a day when a white Irish guy can have equal opportunity in the Boston police force.
He doesn't
By anon
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 1:02pm
A white irish guy from southie won't be able to scream racism and sue everyone around him if he doesn't get the job he applied for.
Man, I wonder what your
By Gattaca
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 10:45am
Man, I wonder what your reaction would be to actual bigotry.
Bigotry, lunacy
By anon
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 11:38am
whatever you want to call it, but basically it's the people here who wants to tell everyone how they should run their lives. Including who the Police Commissioner should be.
I didn't know Evans' religion
By anon
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 2:57pm
I didn't know Evans' religion, ethnic origin, or childhood neighborhood until you mentioned it. I will admit I was pretty sure he was white.
Down-to-Earth
By David N
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 4:11am
If you have ever attended a neighborhood briefing with (then) Superintendent Williams - he's a very common sense and down to earth kind of person.
I think he's a great choice.
Oopsies
By adamg
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 8:10am
Even aside from the odd timing of the press release (10 p.m.?), there's this: Steve Annear, the elephant of the local media (he never forgets), noticed that the Walsh press release was roughly three-quarters lifted from the Menino press release issued when the erstwhile hizzonah appointed Evans as temporary commissioner.
At 12:52 or thereabouts, the new mayor's office issued a revised press release that did not include any quotes from the old mayor's press release.
Note to you
By bulgingbuick
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 8:32am
meteorologists. You'd better not say it will be cold out today. Someone said that yesterday.
Everyone digs Bill Evans.
By Finn
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 10:27am
Everybody digs Bill Evans.
bill evans
By bostnkid
Wed, 01/08/2014 - 4:46pm
i used to run wildly thru the streets of boston. a young bill evans chased me thru many parks and backyards and was one of the only bpd to ever actually catch me. instead of meeting his fist, which several other officers introduced me to, i was greeted with words of advice and kindness. instead of taking away my beer for his own private police drinking party he tried to talk to us! tried to make us feel like a part of the neighborhood, a part of the neighborhood that mattered. he gave us small lessons in taking care of each other and respecting the neighbors. i said he would be commisioner some day and that day has come. good first move marty.
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