Transcript: Mayor de Blasio, Police Commissioner Shea Deliver Remarks at NYPD Graduation Ceremony

December 27, 2019

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Well, congratulations officers. Doesn’t that sound good? You have earned that title through such hard work, such perseverance. This day, here, at this theatre, this is the culmination of years and years of dreams and commitment and sweat and it took a long, long time to get here, but you all have succeeded. We are so proud of each and every one of you and we’re proud of the family members, the loved ones, the friends who stood by you the whole way through, help make it possible. To all the family members, look around you, and please give each other a round of applause.

[Applause]

We are celebrating in this beautiful time of year. This season of celebration, we’re celebrating all of you and what you mean to the City of New York. Today, this city gets 433 new guardians. That is something to celebrate, 433 new public servants that will protect all of us. And this season is a joyous time. The city comes alive in a special way, so I want to take this opportunity to celebrate with everyone. I hope everyone had a merry Christmas. I wish you happy Hanukkah, a happy Kwanzaa, a happy Three Kings Day, and a happy New Year to all.

[Applause]

I want to thank all of the leadership of the NYPD. Here on the dais, the union leadership here, everyone who works 365 days a year to help make this a safe city for all, we thank them.

Now this class, this is an extraordinary class – every single year, the caliber of the men and women who join the NYPD just gets better and better. The training gets better and better. No class has ever been better prepared to take on this crucial work than those that you see before you today. I think this class has a lot of remarkable people in it, but I want to say something about 26 members of this class who are putting on the uniform for the second time having served us previously – all of us – in the armed forces of this country. Let’s thank all of them.

[Applause]

This class is extraordinary because it represents the best of New York City. It represents all of New York City. We have members of this class who hail from 21 different countries. They speak 34 languages within the members of this class. And that’s going to allow them to connect to the people of this city even better. And we have a lot of beautiful family traditions that are being played out today in this moment of celebration where the torch is being passed from one generation to the next. One example is Officer Brooke Caradonna-Maltese, her mom Officer Maryrose Caradonna spent 20 years on the force. She’s a hero. She was down at 9/11 working on the pile for months there trying to help all the others around her and the families that needed her. What an amazing legacy that now Officer Brooke Caradonna-Maltese is carrying on. Let’s congratulate that family for all they are doing.

[Applause]

And another wonderful story of an officer who is joining the NYPD and starting a new tradition and maybe you saw this story in the papers today, it’s a powerful one – Officer Angel Familia, who was up here earlier, grew up in the 44 Precinct in the Bronx and wanted to do something  to help his neighborhood and his city. He went to a community meeting and saw Police Commissioner Jimmy O’Neill and Chief Nilda Hoffman and got inspired. He wanted to do something bigger and made the decision to come forward and join this force.

He himself brings a special skill having grown up in a family where he needed to use sign language to communicate with his parents and to be the translator for his parents. He now is an official American Sign Language linguist for the NYPD and he’s going to help the NYPD to relate to and connect to many New Yorkers who need help but wouldn’t know where to turn unless there was someone who had that gift. Let’s congratulate Angel for what he is bringing to all of us.

[Applause]

Now you heard it said earlier, this is the first class to graduate under Commissioner Dermot Shea. You’ll hear from the Commissioner in a moment but he was there just like you back in 1991, he started out a cop on the beat and he worked his way up to the top, and that’s a reminder to every one of you, every single one of you, you are talented, committed people or you would not be sitting here. A lot of people wanted to be sitting here but you were the ones who were good enough to make it. Look up here at all of those who have ascended to the ranks of leadership, some day that will be some of you. If you work hard enough and you believe in yourself, you can be among the leaders of the future of this great department.

And this department keeps getting better. I always tell graduates you are joining a winning team. Crime continues to go down – we have challenges, but this department, the men and women of the NYPD continue to drive down crime in this city and they do it because they never stop getting better. I’ve never had a day working with the NYPD where I heard any complacency. I only hear a deep desire to keep improving all the time. You’re going to see that and you’re going to feel it. And you are also going to feel the power of the philosophy of neighborhood policing.

Neighborhood policing changes everything because it helps the people of our communities to feel closer to you and you to feel closer to them. It is policing of and by and for the neighborhoods of our city. You deserve the opportunity to build those direct human relationships with the people you serve. You deserve the opportunity to get to know the neighborhoods you are working in and for people to get to know you. Neighborhood policing creates a bond. It creates trust. It creates communication. I can’t tell you how many officers have told me about the fact that residents of a community will come up to them and give them the kind of information they need to stop crime before it even happens, to keep everyone safe, officers and community members alike. That bond, that sense of everyone being on the same side, that’s what we are building here in this city and you are going to be those powerful agents of progress and change as we continue to deepen neighborhood policing.

A lot of folks said it couldn’t be done in this city, a lot of folks said years ago that New York City could never turn around but now for a quarter of a century we have proven that we can get safer and safer. We are the safest big city in America and with your help we’re going to go even farther. Now let me tell you something, you will hear and see over the years from Commissioner Shea, he does not believe in just accepting things the way they are, he wants us to stop crimes before they happen. He wants us to get to the root causes, this is what he spent his life working on, believing that we can go to places we’ve never been before, but it takes talented, committed people like all of you.

And you are going to make a huge difference in people’s lives, even in the first days on the job, you don’t know when it’s going to happen, but a day will happen soon where you change someone’s life for the better. You save a whole family and their lives will always be better because of the day they met you. They met you under tough circumstances, no doubt when that moment comes, but it was you who were there to save them, to protect them, to make everything better. You’re going to have that extraordinary feeling of meaning and purpose because of the work you do.

Now, it’s not easy. No one is here to tell you this job is easy. We face a whole series of threats. Some from outside the five boroughs and some from within and we have challenges that are hard ones to tackle. In recent days, once again, we have seen hate crimes in this city. This is something we don’t accept as New Yorkers and we don’t accept as Americans. We believe that everyone should be respected. We believe that New York City is the ultimate place for everyone and you will be those guardians who help people to know that whoever they are, wherever they come from, whatever their faith, they will be protected and with your help we will send a message to anyone who wants act on hate, anyone who seeks to do violence on someone else just because of who they are, the NYPD will not allow that to happen and New York City will not allow that to happen. Your strong presence in our communities will give people that comfort and security to know this really is a place for everyone.

So, we owe to you, not only our thanks, not only our gratitude, but to help you to be the best you can be with the best training, the best equipment, the most modern technology, but we also owe it to every one of you to keep you safe. To all the family members and the loved ones who are gathered, every one of us up here feels a sacred obligation to make sure that every day we are working to keep our officers safe and that bond between our police and our communities is one of the ways we’ll do it. But there’s so much more that we need to do always to protect our officers so they come home each night to every one of you.

Officers, you have chosen a very, very noble profession and I want to thank you for making that choice. I want to thank you for persevering. This is a season of reflection and a season to be grateful. I am grateful for every one of you and 8.6 million New Yorkers will depend on you and because you have all stepped forward this city will be a better place. Thank you and God bless you all.

[Applause]

Lieutenant Jamel Hodges, NYPD: Thank you so much, Mr. Mayor. Ladies and gentleman, it is now my honor and privilege to introduce the 44th Police Commissioner of the City of New York, the Honorable Dermot Shea.

[Applause]
                  
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea: Good morning, everyone.

Audience: Good morning, sir.

Commissioner Shea: Good morning, police officers. Rabbi Kass, thank you for that beautiful opening prayer, especially the part about me having a long and lengthy career, I really appreciate that.

[Laughter]

How’s that, Terry?

[Laughter]

So, on behalf of the leadership team assembled on this stage, Mayor de Blasio behind me, and the entire New York City Police Department, welcome to our Recruit Graduation Ceremony. And to all of our graduates, congratulations and welcome to the greatest police department in the world. There are certain special moments in your life that you’ll always carry with you because they mark a milestone of significance that actually changes who you are as a person. And when you look back on it, you can remember two distinct times, before that date, and after that date. For me that moment was in April of 1991, when I sat where you sat, and I stood up and I raised my right hand and took the oath to be a New York City police officer. For you it could be December of 2019. Before that day, nearly 29 years ago, I thought I understood what it meant to be a cop. I’ll tell you right now as I stand here before you, I had a lot to learn. In fact, I continue to learn to this day, and I think that’s something that you too should never forget. Continue to learn. Continue to grow as an individual. You’re about to walk about the doors of this beautiful venue, onto Broadway, and there’s a world that’s awaiting you.

But make no mistake, as you walk out those doors, it’s going to be different now. Your identity has changed. Now, why? Because now you’re an NYPD cop. I’ll tell you something I love about this city. I love being on Madison Avenue, or I love being on Fifth Avenue at a street fair or a parade. And then you walk two blocks East or West and you’re in a different world, as if you changed time zones – different cultures, different events, different venues. I think that’s what’s awaiting you outside those doors, and I’ll tell you what I mean. Because when you walk out those doors today, you’ll look up, you’ll see on the marquee “Congratulations NYPD graduates,” or at least that’s what it usually says, and everyone on the street will be honking horns, and traffic will stop, and people will be in a hurry because this is, after all, New York City, but they’ll know who you are. They’ll know you just graduated. I would bet that you won’t walk 100 yards before you also change time zones where you are. Because then you’re just going to be New York City cop, and you’ll be expected to know everything.

You’ll be instantly recognizable by that patch that’s on your shoulder. As I said, 100 yards I give you, and somebody is going to stop you. Maybe they got a parking ticket that they think you’re going to take care of for them. “What does that sign really say? I think this ticket’s a mistake” - I guarantee you maybe one of you will hear that. Maybe they need directions. “How do I get to the Beacon Theater? I’m late for the graduation.” Too late. Maybe it’s a lost child. There’s no way that you could possibly have all those answers, be expected to know everything that a New York City police officer is expected to know from the people that will seek that information from you. But somehow you will. You’re going to be fine.

Remember always how much those people need you. Whether it’s a lost tourist, a crime victim, a kid with no role model, trying to grow up in a crazy world, and so many more. Remember all of that always, what a gift this job is. I would argue that it’s not a job after all. I’d say what I learned most over the years is exactly that. Remember to treat everyone as you would your own family, I would say that you could never go wrong doing that. And it’s advice that’s been passed down over the years. Remember to be patient, when you’re standing out there next week and you’re on 34th and 5th and thousand tourists in about 20 minutes says, “hey where’s the Empire State Building.” Keep all the wise comments that I would probably think too to yourself, and tell them “look up.”

[Laughter]

Listen to that’s voice inside you. It will guide you. There are 8.6 million people in this city that are praying for you. It may not always seem that way, and there will be some tough days, but trust me, they are. They are because there’s a sacred trust between the people of this great city and it’s Police Department. We need each other and we both know it.

As members of the NYPD, you and your loved ones are now part of a very special family. For the rest of your lives it’s a family that celebrates together on days like today, and it’s also a family that mourns together on days like last Friday, December 20th, 2014, five years ago – the anniversary of the murders of Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. Last Friday we honored their devotion to service and their incredible sacrifice, and we’ve renewed our promise that we would never forget. And I want you to never forget as well. Because now you wear the same uniform that they did, and now you carry on their legacy, and the legacy of all the brave men and women who we’ve lost over the years.

It’s a tremendous responsibility. It’s not always going to be easy. Police work is and probably always will be, extremely difficult. There will be some bad days and in fact there’s many, but I can tell you, however, the great days far outnumber the bad ones. And I can promise you that no other line of work will reward you like this one. You’re going to miss some birthday parties, you’re going to miss some anniversaries, and other special occasions, I think there’s a good chance you might miss a party next Tuesday night too.

[Laughter]

That is now your world. New Year’s Eve, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day Parade, the West Indian American Day Carnival, and so many more, we could go on.

So now, I’ll say that I know that every one of you took a different path to lead you hear to those seats today. But you have one thing in common. As the Mayor said, you didn’t get here on your own. You’re sitting where you are today because of who’s sitting behind you. So to all the family members and friends of our graduates, thank you for your support, you make everything we do possible every day. And that’s what it means to be part of a police family, and today we’re honored to welcome you to ours. So let’s all give, again, our families a round of applause please.

[Applause]

I’d like to take just a moment to specifically recognize some very special people, and there are many, but I’ll just pick a few that are here today. People who know exactly what it means to uphold a tradition of public service, people like the Foster family. In January 1972, Patrolman Gregory Foster had been an NYPD cop for about 13 months. If you think back, if you were around then, you know it was a very difficult time to be a police officer. The cops of that era in cities all across America were literally under attack – extremist groups targeting law enforcement because they too understood how vital law enforcement was to the fabric of our communities.

Patrolman Foster was a 22-year-old former Marine and highly decorated Vietnam veteran. As he patrolled the foot post in the 9th Precinct on Avenue B and East 11th Street, three members of a domestic terrorist group approached him and his partner, Rocco Laurie, from behind. They ambushed and killed two police officers, as is in the case of Detectives Ramos and Liu, assassinating police officers simply because of the uniform that they wore.

It’s never an attack on the New York City Police Department alone, it’s an attack on society. The killer’s only goal is to incite terror and fear but they always fail. The people of our great city and especially the members of the NYPD never cower. We keep moving forward all the way to today to the Police Academy graduation of Patrolman Foster’s grandson, Police Officer Gregory Foster III. Officer Foster, who pays tribute to his grandfather –

[Applause]

I was going to give you an opportunity to clap in a second but you beat me to it and I think it’s very worthy. Officer Foster, who pays tribute to his grandfather by wearing the same shield – think about that – Shield Number 13737. He will now carry on his legacy. It’s an incredible honor and I know this is a very special, proud, and emotional day for the entire Foster family. So, congratulations again, Officer Foster.

[Applause]

There are many others here with a history of service, too, and another I’ll mention is the family of Police Officer Jeff Herman who 30 years ago was an anti-crime officer in Brooklyn’s 7-1. On May 30th, 1989 he and his partner responded to a domestic dispute. In law enforcement, it’s probably one of the most common and also one of the most dangerous types of jobs that we’ll respond to over and over again. Just another job. At the front door they were speaking to the woman who called 9-1-1 when a boyfriend came from the back of the apartment and immediately began firing.

Despite being shot three times, Officer Herman returned fire, protected both his wounded partner and the original victim of the domestic violence. His actions saved lives that night but tragically not his own. When Officer Herman died three days later, we lost another hero but we’ll never forget Officer Herman and we’ll never forget his family. And now his legacy lives on through his niece, Police Officer Taylor Cannon who graduates today.

[Applause]

In a sense of irony, Taylor wears now Shield Number 71 in honor of her uncle’s command. Thank you for dedicating your career to his memory, Taylor, and congratulations.

So, there’s a reason why families like Taylor’s and Gregory’s and all the other legacies in the NYPD choose to continue their tradition of public service. It’s an extension of the oath that you just heard not just from the officer to the job but from the job to the officer. We make a promise to honor each other, to protect each other, and to always support each other. Being a family is the very backbone of policing and there’s no better day than today when that family gets a little bit bigger.

I want to thank the dedicated instructors and staff at the Police Academy in our Training and Personnel Bureaus. We rely on you to turn recruits into cops, and you do an incredible job doing it. And finally to our newest officers, welcome – welcome to the most noble profession in the world in the greatest city in the world. Millions – and that’s not an exaggeration – millions of people will look to you and will pay very close attention to the example that you set. Remember that every encounter from a simple 3-1-1 call about a blocked driveway to a trip to the local precinct to report a crime – maybe a lost passport – is an opportunity to strengthen neighborhood policing. Each and every encounter is an opportunity to make a first impression. Never for a second underestimate your impact on other people’s lives when they’re calling you when they have no one else to call. Thank you. Thank you for joining us on this mission. I can’t wait to see everything we’re going to do together. Good luck to each of you and always stay safe, and we’ll see you next Tuesday.

[Applause]