CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow, who became the first woman to lead the department in 2022, has formally announced her retirement, a city spokesman said Thursday.
Superintendent of Operations Pauline Wells has been named Acting Police Commissioner, according to City of Cambridge spokesman Jeremy Warnick.
Elow, who has worked for the department for more than 30 years, was appointed as Cambridge Police Commissioner in January 2022.
In a message on the city’s website, Elow called it “a tremendous honor to lead this nationally renowned and accomplished department.”
“My entire career has been dedicated to serving the Cambridge community. I grew up in Cambridge and love working in this city,” Elow said.
“For me, the most fulfilling aspect of working in policing has been in the building of meaningful working relationships with members of the communities where I have served,” Elow said.
“To be meaningful, a relationship must be built on trust; for me, this has always meant that we as police must continually show that we are worthy of the public’s trust,” Elow said. “I have found that as long as we continually show that we are trustworthy, the public will strongly support us.”
During her four years as commissioner, Elow guided the department through an important period of transformation, city officials said.
Under her leadership, the department strengthened its commitment to transparency, procedural justice, and community-driven public safety, city officials said.
Key milestones during her time as commissioner included: Achieving advanced-level CALEA Accreditation, widely considered the gold standard in policing; implementing a department-wide body-worn camera program; launching the Procedural Justice Dashboard to increase transparency and build trust; and strengthening hiring and recruitment practices to support a more diverse department workforce.
Elow joined the Cambridge Police in 1995 after serving in the U.S. Navy for four years. She went on to become the first woman to lead the department in 2022.
She served in the Patrol Division and oversaw the Professional Standards Unit, where she was responsible for receiving, processing, and investigating complaints against department members.
She later served as Deputy Superintendent for Day Patrol and Community Services.
In 2017, Elow was appointed Superintendent, making her the highest-ranking female officer in the department’s history.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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