Sheriff won't be riding into City Hall

Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins announced today he won't be running for Boston mayor this year.

Tompkins said he's flattered so many people have been tossing his name out there and encouraging him to run, but said he's committed to his work as both sheriff for a county that also includes Chelsea, Winthrop and Revere, his role as chairman of the board of trustees at Roxbury Community College and the work he does with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Tompkins has been overseeing county jails since 2013.

Though I believe that I would bring a unique perspective to the role of Mayor of the City of Boston as someone who has led a law enforcement agency and the largest Sheriff’s Department in Massachusetts, I am heartened by the fact that there is no shortage of highly-qualified candidates running, each offering their own unique perspective and vision for the city.

And, so, it is with respect and at tip of the cap that I bid farewell to Marty Walsh, whom I consider to be dear friend and great colleague, and I am truly excited for him in his new appointment. I am even more excited about the opportunity and ability to continue working to improve the lives of the people in my charge and the citizens of Suffolk County and beyond.