Dennis White (police commissioner) facts for kids

Dennis A. White is an American police officer. He was briefly the top police chief, called the Commissioner, for the Boston Police Department in 2021. He officially started his job on February 1, 2021. Just two days later, he was put on leave. This happened because the city started looking into an old personal matter from 1999. On June 7, 2021, the acting mayor, Kim Janey, ended his time as commissioner.

About Dennis White

Dennis White was born around 1962. He grew up in the Four Corners area of Dorchester. This is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. He went to Jeremiah E. Burke High School there.

Before joining the police, he worked for the Boston Fire Department. He was a firefighter for five years. Later, in 2005, he earned a college degree. He studied legal studies at Newbury College. This college is in Brookline, Massachusetts, near Boston.

His Police Career

Dennis White worked for the Boston Police Department for 32 years. He started in 1989. Over time, he moved up in leadership roles. In 2014, he became a deputy superintendent.

In 2018, the police commissioner at the time, William G. Gross, promoted White. He became a superintendent. He was also named the chief of staff. In 2020, White joined a special group. This group had 11 members. Their job was to look at policing in Boston. They suggested ways to make it better.

Becoming Commissioner

On January 28, 2021, Commissioner Gross announced he was leaving his job. He retired the very next day. Gross suggested Dennis White as his replacement. Boston's mayor, Marty Walsh, agreed. White became the acting commissioner on January 29.

He was officially sworn in on February 1, 2021. This made him the 43rd commissioner of the department. He was also the second Black commissioner in Boston's history.