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

June 6, 2017

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you. We gather today as part of an extraordinary tradition – it goes back all the way to 1845 – honoring men and women who have done extraordinary things for this city. And it’s something we do because we want these men and women to know and we want their families to know how much we respect them, how much we appreciate them. We want to uphold them to the whole city as an example of all that we wish to be in our lives. And it’s a day that has been noted, year after year, as part of the extraordinary tradition of the NYPD. 

I want to thank all the leadership of the NYPD present today – and notably, Commissioner O’Neill; First Deputy Commissioner Tucker, and Chief of Department Gomez for their extraordinary accomplishments. 

And I want to thank the leaders of labor who represent the men and women who do this work – Roy Richter, of the CEA; Michael Palladino, of the DEA; and Pat Lynch of the PBA, thank you for your representation of the people who do so much for this city.

Now, we recognize today incredible acts – acts of heroism, acts of sacrifice, people who went above and beyond. And it begs the question, why do so many great men and women join the NYPD? Why does the NYPD breed so many heroes? I think there are many good answers. It is unquestionably the finest police organization anywhere in the world – the most accomplished – an agency that’s proven year after year that gets better all the time – those are good reasons. Certainly, the noble choice that each man and woman makes when they join the NYPD speaks volumes about what they will do in the years ahead. People choose this life, they choose this mission. They’re not drafted, they’re not required to do it – it is an individual choice. And the very choice speaks to the character of each individual and the potential for greatness. But I think there’s another extraordinary factor that makes the NYPD different, and makes the NYPD a place that produces so many men and women. 

And it gets to the core greatness of New York City. We are a city of strivers, we always have been. You can go back generations, even to the founding of New York City. Strivers – people seeking a better life, people seeking to do things that might have been unimaginable just a generation before in their family. The NYPD represents people from every neighborhood of this city, from every background. The NYPD represents the very best of New York City. 

For some members of the NYPD, it is about a family tradition that can stretch back two generations, or three, or four. And that gives a special focus and energy to their service – that sense of carrying on something great within their family. For others, they are the first generation to serve and they may as well be the first generation in their family to have come to this country or be born in this country. And they bring the purposefulness, the sense of what’s special of becoming a New Yorker, becoming an American. All of that combines in one place in the NYPD and it creates a special and amazing ability in this entire agency, and it shows in so many of these good men and women. 

Today, we will honor 17 officers and we will honor those who we lost this last year. We will, at the same time, honor their families, thank their families, appreciate their families, because no one serves in the NYPD without the support of their family, it would not be possible. No one even gets here without the support of their families. We understand what families go through and, sometimes, the sacrifice they make. We have to be with the families throughout, and that is another great tradition of the NYPD. 

As we gather to celebrate and to appreciate everyone in this room – and I daresay people all over this city, people of every neighborhood and every background –  feel in common a deep sense of sorrow and solidarity with the family of Officer Dalsh Veve. Commissioner O’Neill and I visited his family, his wife in the hospital room. We saw Officer Veve there, seeming to be peacefully sleeping, but we knew he was fighting for his life. And his story is exemplary of the story of so many who have joined the NYPD – an immigrant child who believed he could be something great, believed he could make his family proud, believed he could be an example to this community, and that is exactly what Officer Veve proceeded to do. In the nine years he’s been a member of the NYPD, he's been an extraordinary officer, highly decorated, respected by all, destined for future leadership. He’s fighting for his life, but our prayers are with him. Our support is there for his wife and his two-year-old daughter. We feel a common bond with him right now, and we recognize all he represents as an example of the greatness of the NYPD. 

You know, we are also going to honor, as I said, someone we have lost. And one man we lost last year particularly strikes a note for me as a father. Sergeant Paul Tuozzolo – 19-year veteran of the NYPD who responded not just as a police officer, but responded as a father when he understood that a family was in danger – that they were being held at gunpoint, that a mother and child were literally on the brink of such danger. He responded as a human being, not just as a great law enforcement officer. And he responded as a leader of the men and women under his command, putting himself forward, putting himself in harm’s way before he would ask any of the men and women he served with to do it. Another example of all that is real about the NYPD, another example of something we all can strive for everyday – to be just a little bit as good as Sergeant Tuozzolo. 

Finally, I want to note, when you think of the NYPD, you also think of a man we honor who we lost, and it was one of the greatest moments of New Yorkers coming together in quite a while. When we lost Detective Steven McDonald, people all over the city, people all over the metropolitan area, and even people all over this nation appreciated something in common, together. We appreciated his sacrifice. We appreciated his heart. We appreciated his endless commitment to the NYPD and his deep, deep love for New York City. I don’t think anyone ha expressed those values in his life better than Detective Steven McDonald. What’s more extraordinary is, despite all the challenges he faced, all the pain, he went on to be one of the greatest teachers, one of the greatest guides we ever could have asked for, and thousands of members of this Department were touched by him, nourished, supported, given inspiration. So, if there’s anyone where we can say his spirit lives on and continues to be felt in this building and on the streets of every neighborhood, it’s Detective Steven McDonald. 

I’ll conclude by saying this is a ay for gratitude for all these great men and women before us, for all those we have lost but will never forget – a great tradition of heroism that we will celebrate every year, as we have for over 150 years, and something that makes this city so great, and so strong. 

Thank you, and God bless you all. 

[…]

Police Commissioner James O’Neill: Good morning, everyone. Thanks for being here. Mr. Mayor, on behalf of the leadership team assembled on this stage, thank you for your remarks, and thank you for your continued support of the NYPD. And to our honorees, as well as their families, friends, colleagues here to participate in the ceremony, welcome to One Police Plaza.

This is one of the most significant days of the year for the New York City Police Department. Today, we honor those who gave their lives to the people of this city, and repeat to their families, their loved ones, their colleagues, and to the entire city – we never forget. We also honor those extraordinary – those who extraordinary courage and skill carried them through situations that would have made most people run the other way. And because of their heroism and commitment to the people of this great city, they need to be recognized as the finest police officers in the world. And as we hold this important ceremony today, please keep in your thoughts and prayers Police Officer Dalsh Veve, who remains in critical condition after being dragged by a car Saturday night in Brooklyn. An extraordinary cop, an extraordinary man, an extraordinary family – they need us. His colleagues in the 6-7 Precinct need us. And it’s truly an honor and a privilege to represent the men and women of this great Police Department who prove each day they’re truly the best at what they do. 

You have to be the best, because lives depend on it. Lives depend on how you do your job – your lives, the lives of fellow cops, and the lives of the people you’re sworn to protect. It’s a solemn responsibility, and one that every cop faces just by coming to work. We can’t forget that each of you are ordinary people too – people with families, people with hopes, fears, and dreams, just like everyone else. The difference is, when you’re faced with extraordinary challenges, you did extraordinary things. You are what American policing is all about and you are the example of what all cops do every day – you go towards the danger.

There are very few professions in this world where on any given workday it can range from tedious, to absolutely terrifying, and everything in between. In fact, the only thing predictable about our job is that it’s unpredictable. In an instant, what had been a normal day can become that day. And you find yourself wondering, when that day comes, when that call comes over the radio, how will I respond? It’s true, some police officers can work their entire careers and never have to answer that question. But our honorees today were faced with that question, and they answered it with great courage, skill, and professionalism. They instinctively met challenges that they couldn’t anticipate when they woke up that day. Suspect pursuits ending in gunfire, vehicles engulfed in flames, or a terrorist attack that resulted in the largest search rescue and recovery operation in U.S. history. They didn’t do it for the thanks, they didn’t do it for the praise, and they certainly didn’t do it for a medal. They responded because that’s who they are – they’re cops. And lucky for us, they’re the very best at what they do.

So, to all of our medal recipients and your families, congratulations. And to the loved ones, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the people of this great city, thank you for being here with us. We’ll always be among the most respected and revered members of our police family. And each time you’re with us, it’s another opportunity to honor the men and women who gave their lives for this department and for this city. And it’s our constant reminder to carry on their legacy day after day, because we never forget. Without a doubt, all of you will remember this day forever. 

I’m so privileged to stand here as your Police Commissioner, with the Mayor, with your colleagues, with our community to honor you. We’re all tremendously proud to count you among our ranks and among the many heroes of this great Police Department. 

Thank you very much.