Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at NYPD Swearing-In Ceremony

January 7, 2015

Video available at: https://youtu.be/oAg8IqC6EnU

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you, lieutenant. Before I talk about today’s ceremony and what it means, I think we should spend a moment on this tragedy that we saw in Paris just a few hours ago. The eyes of the world are on Paris – a heinous terrorist attack – goes at the very fabric of a free society. This was an attack on those who speak freely. It was an attack on the news media. It was an attack on freedom of expression. It was an attack on the values we hold dear and that you’re preparing to defend. So, it’s a sober moment. It’s a difficult moment. But it’s also a moment to take stock of how important the work is that you’re about to do. Our thoughts and our prayers are with the families of those who were lost today. At least 12 individuals killed – at least two of them police officers who were defending lives of people who are simply expressing their views in a free society. So, we lost some heroes today. We lost some people who are trying to do good in this world against a terrorist threat that tries to undermine everything we hold dear. So, you are preparing to start your work at a challenging and momentous time – a time when we need good men and women like you to stand up for values of respect and inclusion of all people. Those values were assaulted today in Paris, but that will not stop all of us from continuing to fight for them. I’d like to ask everyone for a moment of silence for all those who were lost today in Paris.

[Mayor de Blasio leads moment of silence]

Thank you. Again, this is a reminder of how important the work is that you’re about to do. We spoke a few days ago about the extraordinary achievements of the NYPD in 2014. And it was striking in the beginning of the presentation – Commissioner Bratton talked about, of course, the great work that was done – the extraordinary success in driving down crime. But he said something very important at the beginning. He says, we talk about the things that happened in 2014 – one of the things that didn’t happen was the kind of large-scale terrorist attack that we saw in Paris. And the reason it didn’t happen here is because of the extraordinary work of the NYPD. This department, since 9/11, has continued to be so successful, so focused, so able at defeating the many, many threats directed at New York City. And remember, we are the number one terror target in the United States of America – probably in the world, and we will be for a long time. But this police force has, time and again, uncovered plots and defended against them with tremendous success. We devote extraordinary resources to anti-terrorism work, and we work in close partnership with our federal partners and our state partners, and it’s worked. And that work will continue. We will never stop being committed to defeating a terrorist threat that, again, is trying to undermine everything we believe in. It’s an attempt at intimidation. It’s an attempt to undermine our values and help us move away from that we hold dear. We won’t let that happen. And the NYPD has a lot to be proud of in the years since 9/11, and 2014 is another example of that.     

So, you’re joining at a momentous moment. You’re joining when we need your talent, your commitment, your courage. And the fact that you made this decision speaks to who you are. It’s not an easy decision to make. It’s not a decision that a lot of people choose to make. It takes special people, strong people, committed people to decide to put on the uniform and protect others. You’re joining what is, unquestionably, the world’s finest police department. And there’s so much evidence of it in the numbers and the history, but I also can tell you – I speak to leaders from around the country and around the world, and they constantly want to learn about the work of the NYPD. They want to meet the leaders of the NYPD. They want to learn about the strategies, the technology – all of the things that have worked here, because the NYPD is seen as the example to the world of how to police properly. The people of this city are very proud of that fact. They’re proud of how well the NYPD does its work and they see with their own eyes how this city, over 20-plus years, has continued to get safer and safer, because of men and women just like you. And it makes a huge difference in the everyday lives of our people. In the last weeks, we have felt that so sharply, as we’ve seen officers who were committed to everything right, lost in the line of duty. It’s reminded us of the sacrifice that officers make and their families make. It’s reminded us, also, of the courage – the courage of people who stand up for others. One thing that is absolutely true about this department – I haven’t found anyone anywhere who disagrees with this – is you have an extraordinary leadership. It begins with Commissioner Bill Bratton, and I’ve said something about him that no one has ever sought to contradict. I said, he has done more to reduce crime – he knows more about how to reduce crime than anyone walking the earth today. It’s an extraordinary record. And you join – under his leadership and the leadership of this great team assembled on this dais around us – you join a department that has leadership that has so much to teach. For all of you who look forward to a long and successful career in policing – for all of you who look forward to one day, taking the kind of roles that will lead you to sit on this stage, you have an opportunity to learn from the very best, literally, the very best that have ever been. And that’s something to cherish. 

I want to thank Commissioner Bratton. I want to thank First Deputy Commissioner Tucker, Chief of Department O’Neill, and all others assembled here on this stage for their extraordinary leadership. 

Again, our minds have been on Detective Ramos and Detective Liu and their families. We’ve all seen the sacrifice. We’ve all seen what those families have gone through. And we’ve learned about the goodness of those two men – how much they cared, not just for their families, not just for their community, but for the larger family of New York City – how much they loved being members of the NYPD. And even as we’ve continued to feel that sadness, we saw just a few days ago, acts of extraordinary heroism and the kind of actions that say to every New Yorker – the NYPD does extraordinary things in the interest of protecting others. Officer Andrew Dossi and Officer Aliro Pellerano, coming off their shift, heard the call to duty – a robbery in progress – went back out, confronted the perps, and with their bravery, were able to lead to what is now the reality that these heinous individuals – these dangerous individuals have now been captured. People’s lives were therefore, saved in the process. These two officers wounded – thank God they will recover. But they disrupted a pattern of violence as so many other brave officers have done and the people of this city are safer for it. That is what we see every day among the 35,000 members of this department who serve us on our streets. 

You’re signing up for a tough job. There is no question in the world, it is one of the toughest jobs. You’re signing up for it with a whole heart because you believe. And it is rewarding in a way, I think, very few other jobs can possibly be, because at any given moment, you may save a life. At any given moment, you may change the course of a family’s history because you were there. You saved a life. You kept someone from grievous injury. You stopped a crime in progress.  That’s what is ahead of you. I can’t think of anything more rewarding or important. And the people of this city are grateful to you and I am grateful to you for making this choice.

A lot of you have a personal sense of what’s ahead because you come from families that have a long tradition of serving this city through the police department. A lot of you have fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, wives, husbands, brothers and sisters who have been a part of this department. You know what it means and you’re making that decision to follow this great tradition. And that is something that is particularly appreciated because that tradition builds with each individual who joins it. 891 of you today – each of you has a powerful story to tell of why you made this decision, what motivated you, what caused that level of commitment. 44 of you have already served – with real distinction – served our country in the military. I want to thank you for that service and for now taking the next step in public service by joining the NYPD. You represent the whole breathe of this city. In fact, this class – within this class, people speak 40 different languages and hail from 49 different countries. You represent all that’s good about New York City. 

And – as I referenced before – you’re joining a team that is getting better and better. You are undoubtedly joining a winning team. We announced on Monday, that overall major crime is down 4.6 percent in 2014 versus 2016 – 2013, excuse me. You know, 2013 was an extraordinarily good year – extraordinarily impressive year in terms of the achievements of the NYPD and yet, in 2014, crime was pushed down 4.6 percent more. A record year and the lowest homicide number since at least 1993, when the CompStat era began – an extraordinary achievement. It means so much to the people of this city that this department keeps pushing crime down. It means things for people’s lives. People are walking the street and alive today because of the achievements of this department in 2014. 

Now, it is not an easy job. No one has that illusion, but it’s a job that we work on everyday trying to support and improve. This commissioner and this leadership team are incessantly looking at how to make this work better, how to make your work more effective, how to make you safer. That is why there have been extraordinary investments this year – the kinds of things that will make our officers safer – the technology to give you information instantly, that you used to have to wait hours and hours to get, so you know where danger is, so you’re able to pinpoint any danger immediately and to have all the facts; the training and support to be always better at tactics and to know how to best diffuse any situation. We have invested close to $400 million dollars in these initiatives. We’ll be investing more because you deserve it and it’s necessary to give you the support to do this vital work.

You’re joining at a crucial time in history –a time when we’re going to keep driving crime down. We’re going to keep stopping the terror threat. We’re going to draw this community closer and closer to the – excuse me, draw this police department closer and closer to the communities it serves and in the process make everyone safer – in the process make everyone safer. It is the world’s best police department and it is getting even better.

I want to welcome you. I want to thank you for making this decision. And I’d like everyone now to take the oath of office. Please repeat after me. 

[Mayor de Blasio administers oath of office]

Congratulations and God bless you all.