Who is Michael Cox?

Michael Cox is set to lead the Boston Police Department, Mayor Michelle Wu announced Wednesday. The 57-year-old, who joined the department in 1989, was beaten more than 25 years ago by colleagues who mistook him for a suspect in a fatal shooting. 

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Cox, after joining the Boston Police Department, has served multiple roles. He rose through the ranks and became the superintendent of the Bureau of Professional Development. The 57-year-old was a part of the Command Staff for 13 years before leaving in 2019 to become chief of the Ann Arbor Police Department in Michigan.

Cox, who is Black, is expected to take the helm in Boston next month.

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Cox told reporters that his appointment is an “emotional moment” for him. He promised to work to diversify the police department — which critics have long complained doesn’t look enough like the city it serves — and make sure officers feel supported in their job to protect the community.

“I think this is a very exciting time. I think the officers need someone to support them,” Cox told reporters Wednesday. “And I’m going to their biggest cheerleader.”

Michael Cox was working undercover in January 1995 when his fellow officers mistook him for a suspect in a fatal shooting and severely beat him. Cox was left bloody and beaten on the ground, and said the officers later tried to cover it up.

Cox said it was a “tough time,” but that he chose to stay in the department and improve things instead of walking away from a job he loved.

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“Since then, in 1995, I have dedicated my life to making sure that both the Boston police department and policing in general has grown and learned … to make sure that we have structures and mechanisms in place to make sure that we never repeat that kind of incident against anyone,” Cox told reporters.

Boston’s last commissioner — Dennis White — was fired last year following a bitter battle to keep his job after decades-old domestic violence accusations came to light. White was placed on leave over the allegations, which he denied, just days into his new job.

As per his Linkedin profile, Cox is a ‘passionate, innovative, and strategic, executive leader with 30 years of progressive experience in law enforcement’.

“Creative and ethical team builder able to leverage diverse skill sets and build upon areas of strength within a fast changing environment where technology, policing and community relations intersect. Respected mentor and advisor with comprehensive knowledge of the internal and external factors necessary to develop and deliver superior performance while inspiring trust in the team and public relationships,” the profile further read.