Ann Arbor police chief named new Boston police commissioner

Ann Arbor's new police chief, Michael Cox, attends a meet-and-greet celebrating 40 years of Safety Town in Ann Arbor on July 30, 2019. (Photo: Meredith Bruckner)

ANN ARBOR – Tree Town Police Chief Michael Cox is headed back to Boston.

The Ann Arbor Police Department’s top law enforcement official was named as the next police commissioner by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Wednesday, July 13.

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Cox, 57, joined AAPD in 2019 after a 30-year career in the Boston Police Department. He was unanimously confirmed by city council and praised by Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor during his confirmation.

“Having grown up here [Boston], having served in many roles within the Boston Police Department and roles elsewhere, Chief Cox is uniquely positioned to build the public safety infrastructure that Boston deserves,” said Mayor Wu in a release. “He will continue building on the community trust and community policing that our city has led on for decades.”

Cox will begin his new role on August 15 and was chosen after a 6-month search.

He previously held several positions with the Boston Police Department, including bureau chief and superintendent of the Bureau of Professional Development, a commander of the operations division, commander of the forensic division, and assistant bureau chief of the Bureau of Investigative Services.

During his time with Boston Police Department, he received two Medals of Honor and numerous awards.

“I want to thank Mayor Wu for the opportunity to come back home and serve the citizens of Boston,” Cox said in a release. “The Boston Police Department needs to look like the communities which we serve and include every resident to hear what is important so we can serve better. I took on public service because I wanted to help the public and give back to the communities in which I lived.”

In 2020, Cox was placed on paid administrative leave from Ann Arbor Police Department for a “personnel matter” and allegations that he created a hostile work environment. He was reinstated after no evidence was found by an independent investigation, Michigan Radio reported.


About the Author

Sarah has worked for WDIV since June 2018. She covers community events, good eats and small businesses in Ann Arbor and has a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics from Grand Valley State University.

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