| William A. Rawls | |
|---|---|
| The Wire character | |
 John Doman as William Rawls | |
| First appearance | "The Target" (2002) |
| Last appearance | "–30–" (2008) |
| Created by | David Simon |
| Portrayed by | John Doman |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Acting Commissioner MSP Superintendent |
| Occupation | Baltimore Police Department Major (season 1) Baltimore Police Department Colonel (season 2) Baltimore Police Department Deputy Commissioner of Operations (seasons 3–5) Acting Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department/MSP Superintendent (season 5) |
William A. "Bill" Rawls is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor John Doman. Over the course of the series, Rawls ascends through the higher ranks of the Baltimore Police Department, eventually becoming Deputy Commissioner of Operations and, at the end of Season 5, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
His careerism and deft political maneuvering are generally portrayed as detrimental to the department and the work of officers under his command; seen, for example, in his regular attempts to offload difficult case-work to other divisions or departments, or shut down investigations in order to keep 'stats' down.
When Rawls is promoted to Deputy Commissioner, he is put in charge of the weekly ComStat meetings, a platform which he uses to bully and berate the commanders under his authority. He is a 'no-nonsense' leader who obstinately refuses to allow anything that might harm his career, regardless of benefit to the department. Little is disclosed of Rawls' personal life aside from incidental allusions to his sexuality, wife and children.