Police Commissioner Ray Kelly on ‘Hardening’ NYC in Speech at C.W. Post

Commissioner Ray Kelly at C.W. Post

From left: Dr. Paul Forestell, Provost, C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University; Tess Mullarkey, Chancellor, C.W. Post Campus and trustee of Long Island University; Commissioner Kelly; Michael Melnicke, trustee, Long Island University; Dr. David J. Steinberg, president, Long Island University

Brookville, N.Y. – The recent alleged attempt by a homegrown terrorist to target Manhattan shows that New York is still “the No. 1 target of terrorists,” even as crime has fallen to historic lows, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said in a speech at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Suspect Najibullah Zazi aborted his attack, Kelly said, but others will still plot. Local vigilance, resources and regional and international cooperation are as necessary as ever to guard the city, he said.

“Today, New York is far and away the safest big city in America,” Kelly told an audience of students, professors and community members in the atrium of Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. “But we’re also the No. 1 target of terrorists. Since Sept. 11, terrorists have shown an enduring obsession to target New York. We don’t expect that to change.”

What has changed since 2001, Kelly said, is a greatly increased emphasis on counterterrorism among rank-and file police; close cooperation with federal law enforcement agencies and city businesses; a high-security zone in lower Manhattan and another soon to come in midtown; NYPD personnel stationed in 11 cities around the world, and the addition of hundreds of analysts and linguists to the Police Department.

“All 35,000 officers are trained to consider every car stop, every suspect questioning, not only through the lens of law enforcement but also through the lens of counterterrorism,” he said. Crime in the city is 11 percent lower than last year at this time and 36 percent lower than in 2001, Kelly said.

The commissioner had praise for several Long Island University academic programs, including criminal justice, homeland security management and forensic science. C.W. Post was the first university campus on Long Island to offer a bachelor’s degree in forensic science. “If you’re interested in a career in that area, there’s a very bright road ahead,” Kelly said. “It’s a growth area for anyone who has an interested in that aspect of law enforcement.” In addition, Kelly noted that Long Island University was one of the first universities in the nation to offer a fully online master’s degree in homeland security management.

Kelly’s lecture was co-sponsored by the C.W. Post Department of Criminal Justice and the Long Island University Homeland Security Management Institute and is part of the fall 2009 Provost Distinguished Lecture Series.

As police commissioner of New York City, Kelly is the first person to hold the post for a second, separate tenure. Commissioner Kelly has also served as senior managing director of Global Corporate Security at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., commissioner of U.S. Customs, under secretary for enforcement at the U.S. Treasury Department, and vice president for the Americas of Interpol. He served previously as director of the International Police Monitors in Haiti, a U.S.-led force responsible for ending human rights abuses and establishing an interim police force there. For this service, Kelly was awarded the Exceptionally Meritorious Service Commendation by the president of the United States and the Commander's Medal for Public Service by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

From left: Dr. Thomas Demaria, director of the Psychological Services Center, Commissioner Ray Kelly, and students from the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program

From left: New C.W. Post freshman pose with NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. From left Benjamin Schlair; Commissioner Kelly; David Deblasio; Justine Gallagher; Jess Talarseo

Posted: October 28, 2009