Transcript: Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner O'Neill Deliver Remarks at NYPD Graduation Ceremony

April 18, 2019

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you. Good morning, everybody. We are gathered in this season of faith, we are gathered in this holiday season, and now as we gather we have something more to celebrate – these wonderful officers joining the NYPD. Congratulations, officers.

[Applause]

You know for each of you at some point this became a dream – for some of you it might have been early in your childhood, for some of you it may have been more recently in your life. But at some point you had a dream to become a member of the greatest police force on this Earth and you worked on that dream, you believed in yourself, you believed in what you could do, and you knew it would take a lot of hard work. And it did take a lot of hard work, it did take a lot to be the very best.

And probably in your minds you envisioned a graduation ceremony one day – well, here you are at Madison Square Garden joining the greatest police force in the world. That is something to celebrate.

[Applause]

But I want to say to all the officers, we’re very, very proud of you, we are thankful to you, we are so happy that you have joined this police force, and you’re going to make this city safer. But we also know that no one does it alone, that over the years you had a lot of love and lot of support and a lot of faith was put in you by your family members. And they, every step of the way, were there for you. They told you that you could do it, they helped you get to this day. So, let’s take a moment everyone – look at your neighbor, give each other a round of applause. Congratulations to the families, this is your day too.

[Applause]

I want to thank and congratulate the leadership of the NYPD. When we gather to celebrate a graduation, it’s also a moment to be thankful for what the NYPD has achieved. Thank you to Commissioner O’Neill, and First Deputy Commissioner Tucker, and Chief of Department Monahan – to all the leadership here – I thank you, I congratulate you. I also want to thank and acknowledge the union leadership who is here. Thank you for the work you do. We are all gathered to celebrate not only the individual achievement of each and every one of our new officers but what it means for this city as a whole. Today, we gain, as a city, 457 new guardians.

[Applause]

457 good men and women who will help to keep this city safe, make it safer, make it more harmonious. Each one of you will change people’s lives for the better. Each one of you, potentially more than once in your career, will save a life, will change the course of a family’s history. Each one of you will give people a little more hope because someone was there for them in their hour of need.

Now, a lot of you did something extraordinary before this day and the people I’m referring to believe so much in serving their fellow American that this is not the first time they have done it. And I want to really express my gratitude, and I think we all should, to the 46 military veterans who are joining the NYPD today.

[Applause]

Another distinguishing characteristic of this great class of officers is that 124 of these officers are following in a family tradition. That is something wonderful about the NYPD.

[Applause]

And I always say some follow family tradition, some start a family tradition by joining today but we really appreciate when many members of a family have served us and taught the next generation, taught their younger members of their family coming up. And I want to give you a few examples like Police Officer Miguel Otero. He joins today with two family members already on the force – his older brother, Wilfredo, an officer in the 114th Precinct in Astoria; his brother-in-law, Freddie Guevara, an officer in the 105th Precinct in Queens Village. And Police Officer Otero’s parents, Wilfred Sr. and Rosa, are here today. Let’s congratulate the whole Otero family.

[Applause]

Now this class is also an example of the very best of New York City and it comes – the members of the class comes from every part of the world, every background, and isn’t that another reason New York City is so great? Police Officer Otero’s family comes from El Salvador and that’s one example of so many. In fact, the members of this class come from 29 countries, speak 47 different languages – that is going to help this class to serve the people of this city even better. And the members of this class remind us as Americans – remind us of what this country was based on, why it was founded – to respect all people, to respect all faiths, to respect all backgrounds.

Another great example in this class – Police Officer Abdul Ahmad, born in Pakistan, grew up in East New York. And with us today – his parents Mumtaz and Yasmin, his sister Mahira and brother Mohammad. Let’s congratulate the Ahmad family.

[Applause]

And it’s a reminder to everyone that members of the NYPD protect everyone. In that moment of crisis no one asks to see anyone’s I. D. card or to know what their religion is, what their background is, what language they speak. The members of the NYPD protect everybody and that’s what makes them great and that’s why I remind us, in the midst of so much turmoil in our world, let’s remember that this great and diverse police force functions as one unit – one unified team. And we’re so proud of that. And a special note – as of today, over 900 members of the NYPD are Muslim American and serve us all and we thank everyone in the NYPD for keeping that ideal alive.

[Applause]

Another great example today – the family of Police Officer Joseline Diaz. The family comes from the Dominican Republic. Her cousin, Elizabeth Gonzalez, is a detective in Brooklyn – another great family tradition. Many family members are here today including her husband Aneurys, her parents Marcelino and Francisca, her brothers Raphael, Juan, and William. And here’s the best part – Police Officer Diaz’s daughter is here, Sarah, and her son, Emanuel. It is Emanuel’s 13th birthday today. So, Emanuel, we threw you a big party. Let’s give the Diaz family a big round of applause.

[Applause]

I just want to say one or two more things to you. I want everyone who is joining this police force to recognize the extraordinary achievement of all the folks up here on this dais, and the team that you are joining. You are joining a winning team. This NYPD has driven down crime in New York City to levels we have not seen since the 1950s. And that is extraordinary.

The last time crime was this low in New York City, the Dodgers were playing at Ebbets Field, to give you some perspective. This department continues to get better and better but we also understand there are always challenges, there are always dangers. We know that we face dangers from all over the world directed at the city of New York. We understand our mission. We understand the vigilance and the resolve it requires. That is why we only choose the very best to become members of this police force.

So, we need you, we’re proud of you, and we have an obligation to you as well – and to all the family members we have obligation to you. Everyone up here on this dais – I feel it deeply, the Police Commissioner feels it deeply, we all do – it is our obligation to keep your loved one safe who are serving us, to make sure they have the best training, to make sure they have the best equipment, that there’s the kind of police force there to support them that they deserve. We work on that every single day because we want all the good men and women of the NYPD to come home every night safe.

And I know that this graduating class will distinguish itself because this is the class, literally, that has gotten the very best training in the history of this department, has been exposed to the latest technology, the greatest strategy and tactics. This graduating class will be able to set records and go to places we’ve never been before. And we look forward to your great achievements ahead.

Officers, thank you and congratulations – and God bless you all.

[Applause]

Lieutenant Tony Giorgio, NYPD: And thank you so much Mr. Mayor. It’s indeed my pride and personal pleasure to introduce the Police Commissioner of the City of New York, the honorable James P. O’Neill.

[Applause]

Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill: Good morning everybody. Good morning officers, how does that sound? Not too bad? Seems like we just swore you in at the academy six months ago, seems like yesterday, right? Maybe not so much? It’s a long six months? You can laugh.

[Laughter]

Right? You can laugh, you took the oath, you’re wearing the uniforms, you can laugh. Terri, stop. Good morning, everyone. On behalf of the leadership team assembled on this stage, Mayor de Blasio and the entire New York City Police Department, welcome to our recruit graduation ceremony. And to our newest police officers, most importantly, welcome to the NYPD.

[Applause]

It is okay to smile. It’s a great day for you and it’s a great day for your families. I know you worked hard to get here. It certainly wasn’t easy to get here and I know there are many different paths that you could have chosen over the course of your lives so far, but you chose to become cops. And for that, on behalf of the police department and the people we serve, I want to say thank you because it’s not an easy choice.

Police work, although it’s the greatest job in the world, is not for everyone. And police work in the most scrutinized police department in the world is definitely not for everyone. To be honest, most people couldn’t manage the challenges of this job, in this city, but over the past six months, you’ve proven that you’re not most people. You’re NYPD police officers. Think about that for a second and let it sink in. You are now part of the largest and most respected police department in the nation. You are not accountable for the safety and security of 8.6 million New York residents, nearly 63 million annual tourists, and the millions more who commute here for work every day. It’s a tremendous responsibility but you wouldn’t be sitting here today if we didn’t know you could handle it.

There is something about the first day that you can never replace. When you have your whole career laid out in front of you. This department is a special family that you and your loved ones will belong to for the rest of your lives. And this job will reward you like no other on the planet, but it will challenge you too, and truthfully, there will be some bad days. I’ve been a cop for a long time now and I can promise you that there will be many, many, many more good days than bad. I still wake up grateful for the opportunity to work in the greatest police department in the world with the best cops and civilians in the business.

We’re all incredibly fortunate to do what we do and our work has never been more meaningful to the people we serve. We have a very clear, well-defined mission, extremely clear. What do we do?  We fight crime and keep people safe. That’s it. That’s the job. And no one does it better than the NYPD. That is our police department’s legacy and now it’s your legacy and it’s your job to keep it going. Make no mistake, it won’t be easy, there’ll be a lot of time away from family. Missed birthdays, first steps, anniversaries, and other opportunities to be with the ones we love. There will be last second schedule changes, cancelled plans and sleepless nights. Again this is not a regular job but this is, without a doubt, the best profession in the world.

Every single day you’re out there helping people make a positive difference in people’s lives. It doesn’t get any better or more meaningful than that. That’s why you’re here, to make a difference, to do good, and that’s exactly what you’re about to do. Never underestimate what you mean to the people you serve, to everyone you meet during your time as an NYPD officer. They’ll look up to you, they’ll admire you for what you do, and they’ll pay close attention to the example you set.

You never know how your story will impact the course of another person’s life because everything you do matters, like it mattered to Police Officer Benjamin Hinderman, who graduates with you today. Today is not the beginning of Officer Hinderman’s public service. Six years ago, after time spent volunteering with his local fire department and ambulance corps, he enlisted in the United States Air National Guard. And in 2015, after completing his initial training, Benjamin joined the 105th Base Defense Squadron stationed in Newburgh, New York. It was there that he met Air National Guard Technical Sargent and NYPD Detective Joseph Lemm.

When Benjamin learned that Joe was a member of the NYPD, he told Joe about his own dream to become a cop. He was inspired by Joe’s story and by his dedication to our city and to our country. And for his part, Joe encouraged Benjamin to follow his dream into the NYPD, but first there was other work to do. Toward the end of 2015, Benjamin, Joe, and several other members of their security-forces squadron were deployed to Afghanistan. It was Joe’s third overseas deployment, believe it or not. So he was an important role model Benjamin and the others who were going for their first time. As Benjamin’s boss, Joe was respected and admired by the entire squad. They looked up to him, looked forward to completing their important work in Afghanistan and coming back home.

But three months into their six month deployment, everything changed. On December 21st, 2015, Joe and Benjamin were assigned to two separate convoys traveling outside Bagram. When Joe’s convoy got a few miles from the airfield, he was approached by a lone motorcyclist. As the bike got closer, Joe could tell that something was wrong, and his instinct to protect took over. According to witnesses, he placed himself between a motorcycle and his convoy seconds before the suicide bomber on board detonated his explosives. Joe and five of his fellow service members were killed, four more were injured, but Joe Lemm’s actions and his sacrifices saved lives.

Benjamin and the others in the second convoy heard about the attack when they returned to base and at that moment, his life and the lives of the rest of squadron changed forever. That day the world learned what the Air National Guard and the NYPD already knew Joe Lemm, his courage, his selflessness, and heroism inspires everyone who hears his story including his fellow airman graduating here this morning Police Officer Hinderman. I’m sure that Joe is proud of you today, you fulfilled a promise you made to him and to yourself and that you continue the vital work he started. And now you’re Joe’s brother in blue. We know that you will keep making the Lemm family and the entire NYPD family very proud. Congratulations, let’s give Benjamin a round of applause.

[Applause]

Every one of you has a unique story about how you got here, but you all have one thing in common, you didn’t get here on your own. You’re in these seats today because of the people who are sitting behind you. So to all the family members and friends of our graduates, thank you for your support. They always say that cops have the greatest jobs in the world, and we really do, but you are families, you have the hardest jobs. It doesn’t matter whether the person you are here for today is the first member of your family to become a cop or they’re the latest in the long family tradition of police officers.

Either way, I know the mixture of emotions that you’re feeling right now, I know that you are proud, excited, apprehensive, but I want you to know this, you walked into this theatre with one son, daughter, niece, nephew, brother or sister, and you’re walking out with 36,000 more. Because when a police officer swears the oath we just heard, the NYPD swears an oath to that officer also. This department and the city promises to honor them, to protect them, and to never forget their commitment to the people of New York. And always, that promise extends to their loved ones as well. So thank you for supporting the department and everything you do to make our work possible. Please give yourselves a hand because we really couldn’t do this without you.

[Applause]

I also want to thank the dedicated instructors and staff of the Police Academy and our Training Personnel Bureaus for preparing these police officers for their careers ahead. And, finally to our newest cops, never forget who you are, what you do, and why you do it. And don’t ever doubt what you mean to this department, to the people of this great city, and to each other. It’s my absolute privilege to welcome you to our NYPD family. Good luck, watch out for each other, and as always please stay safe.

Thank you very much.