Transcript: Mayor de Blasio and NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism John Miller Hold Press Availability in Washington, DC

October 14, 2014

Mayor de Blasio: We had a series of very productive meetings today – first at the FBI headquarters with Director Comey and his team – sat at the White House we had a meeting in the Situation Room with Lisa Monaco the president’s Chief Counter-Terrorism Advisor. And lastly, at the Department of Homeland Security we met with Secretary Johnson and his team. It’s quite clear from these meetings that the two central concerns that we are working on together – the federal government with the City of New York – are the Ebola crisis and the threat posed by ISIS and related organizations. The fact is that the information shared was very helpful, there was a tremendous sense of cooperation and shared mission. It’s evident from the meeting at the FBI, the meeting at Homeland Security, the meeting at the White House that all of these federal agencies hold NYPD in great regard – believe that the NYPD is a central ally in all their efforts, believe it’s crucial to have a close working relationship and a constant flow of information between the NYPD and the federal government and vice versa. So it was to me, clear evidence that we have deepened our partnership with our federal agencies. In fact, one of the individuals [inaudible] the partnership is now at an all-time high. The closeness between the federal security agencies and NYPD is at an unprecedented level, and we’re very proud of that fact. Obviously, it goes without saying that we are facing very, very serious challenges. But what we were able to assure our federal partners is the City of New York is prepared in terms of the Ebola crisis. To date, there’s not been a single case in the City of New York but we are well prepared, our public hospitals are prepared, our Department of Health is prepared. We’re working closely with private hospitals. We were able to update the federal agencies on all the activities undertaken by our over 1,000 NYPD officers focused on counter-terrorism. Again, the atmosphere today was one of real appreciation for the efforts that New York City has undertaking and a close sense of partnership and shared goals – a very productive day.

With that let’s take topics – excuse me, first on-topic followed by off-topic – on-topic first.

Reporter: Did you ask for more money?

Mayor de Blasio: Well, at the first two meetings at the FBI and the White House, the topics really were not about resources. The last meeting at Homeland Security there was some discussion of some of the resources we needed – specifically around Lower Manhattan. But we’ve had other discussions with Homeland Security about resource needs. This was much more about strategic coordination.

Reporter: Was there any discussion about imminent threats from ISIS or [inaudible]

Mayor de Blasio: That was a subject of conversation in all three places – let me let John Miller speak to that.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner John Miller: Both at the FBI, and at the White House with Lisa Monaco, and at the Department of Homeland Security, we went over the core threats facing major cities in the United States today from terrorism. That would be from Al-Qaeda Central. It would be from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the sub-group that has been documented as concentrating on attacking the west. It would be from the Khorasan group, which you’ve seen reporting on recently as the group operating in Syria with external terrorist planning – as an external terrorist planning entity. And the other issue we discussed, of course, was Ebola. So, we really looked at that from a 360 degree angle. When you get to the ISIS piece, on top of all of that, you see a sustained and growing propaganda machine that’s calling to people who follow their narrative around the world to act. So, it was very important to go over the threat picture with our federal partners, both on the FBI level, at the White House level with Homeland Security, and make sure we’re all on the same page and make sure, in the event of something actually happening, that the channels are open, the lines of communication are clear and that the coordination is there and I think we’re comfortable where they are.

Mayor: Absolutely, and I think the point to your question also, you know, is there something new that’s developed – no. We are in the same situation we were the day that Commissioner Bratton and I stood outside the Union Square subway station, where we had gotten a piece of information put out publically that alleged something specific that, to this moment, still has not been found. I think we feel we’re in a very high state of readiness every day, at this point. But there’s no new specific threat information that we received today.

Question: Mr. Mayor, was there any restriction on the information that you could get [inaudible] lack of security clearance [inaudible].

Mayor: I’ll give you my view and, John’s an expert, he could speak to it too. Look, I think the fact that we’re meeting with the FBI director, the secretary of homeland security and the chief counter-terrorism advisor to the white house – and I think they were speaking very frankly – suggests, clearly to me, that I have the information I need and will have the information I need in a time of crises.

Question: They can’t discuss classified [inaudible]

Mayor: Again, I think the conversations were specific enough to give me the information I need.

Deputy Commissioner Miller : Let me add to that – I sit in on a classified briefing in a secure, compartmented information facility every day, and the difference between the information that I get and that Commissioner Bratton gets every day, and what the mayor got today or at the last briefing, really is insignificant on the level of executive decision making. With classified briefings, you get the sources and methods they used to obtain the meeting. For a briefing on the level we got today, which was law-enforcement sensitive, you get the actual threat information and their assessment of its credibility. So, I would say there was no distinction from the classified to the unclassified briefing – except on the most technical level.

Question: Would you describe the relationship between the federal government and the City of New York on security and counter-terrorism issues as being better than ever? What’s changed over the past year?

Mayor: I think Bill Bratton is a big piece of it and John Miller is a big piece of it. I think having leaders in the NYPD who deeply believe in partnership – deeply believe in collaboration. It’s helpful that John’s spent some time in a leading role at the FBI a few years ago. Commissioner Bratton, throughout his career, focused on the need for partnership with – surrounding police agencies, with state police, with all the federal security agencies. And I think that has helped to increase the flow of information and the sense of shared mission. So I give both of them tremendous credit and I think there’s a real appreciation. Look, everyone knows we’re the number one terror target and everyone knows that we are devoting a level of resources to fighting terrorism that no locality on earth can compare with – with 1,000 officers devoted and with a tremendous amount of technology and expertise being expended. So, from the point of view – it was quite clear to me today – from the point of view of the White House, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security – they consider the NYPD a blessing. They consider the NYPD a powerful force at the front line, helping them to gather information, analyze it, act on it. And I think what – there’s a great sense of appreciation that whatever barriers may have existed in the past, those barriers don’t exist anymore and there’s a deep and close working relationship. 

Question: Mr. Mayor, just a quick follow-up to one of the earlier questions. Have the feds given you a timeline as to when you would get your clearance?

Deputy Commissioner Miller: May I, sir?

Mayor: Sure, please.

Deputy Commissioner Miller: The process to get a top-secret clearance can be very lengthy. It also takes longer if you’re getting it for the first time. Commissioner Bratton and I had the advantage of having had top-secret clearances before, so the process moved more swiftly. These are, again, technical distinctions. What I want to be crystal clear about is – if there is threat information to New York City, both the police department and the FBI have been incredibly clear with the mayor that a clearance, or the lack-thereof, is not going to be a barrier to transmitting need-to-know information either in crises, or if there’s intelligence that may affect the safety of the city. When I say technical – while Commissioner Bratton and I were waiting for our clearances to be dusted off and renewed, we received classified briefings. That required us signing a nondisclosure agreement that the briefing would not be disclosed outside law-enforcement circles. If we had a threat to New York City that required decision making on the part of the mayor, that required access to classified information, it would take us about 20 minutes to get the form, to execute the form, and to pass the classified information. I don’t want to say we’re making a lot out of very little, but when it comes to the decision making of the leader of the City of New York on that level, this is a very hand-able problem and it’s something we’ve dealt with already.

Question: Mr. Mayor, I have two questions. One – are there any steps that your administration will be taking as a result of what you discussed today? And two – given the situation with your security clearance, did you feel there was a need to sort of [inaudible] your credentials with respect to counter-terrorism issues?

Mayor: No – on the second one, no. I think what’s quite clear, again, when you become mayor of a city that’s the number one terror target in America, your credentials start acting immediately – meaning you have to do the work, you have to choose great professionals in terms of the PD and OEM and all the other agencies we have. You have to start working with them every day on the information we have. You have to work with our federal partners. This is something I’ve been doing from day one. So I think it is a superficial dynamic trying to understand whether someone is handling something one way or another. From my point of view, from day one, since January 1, this has been my responsibility – that’s my reality. The – what was the other part of the question, sorry?

Question: Are there any steps that New York – that your administration, that New York City, will take as a result of what you learned from – 

Mayor: I think what was helpful today was comparing notes, particularly on the Ebola crisis – a sense that everyone is trying to make sure the template is strong at the local level and understanding that we need all pieces of the equation to be ready – every hospital to be ready, all the key emergency services to be ready. So I think it was a very helpful and productive comparing of what our preparation efforts have been versus other efforts around the country. That was one piece of the puzzle I thought was very important today. A second – in terms of national security – we had a series of conversations about the kinds of efforts that have to be made at the community level to deepen relationships at the community level throughout our city that can lead to helpful intelligence being gained. I think it’s quite clear that Commissioner Bratton and Deputy Commissioner Miller have done a fine job deepening the NYPD’s relationships all over the city – that can lead to the flow of information that can be decisive, particularly in times of crisis. And that was a key theme in the meetings – the importance of localities having those open channels of communication to local communities.

Question: It seems like a heady itinerary – meeting with the director of the FBI, a counter-terrorism briefing at the White House. I’m wondering if you might share your impressions of this sort of new experience of these types of high-level briefings that are now a part of your [inaudible]?

Mayor: It’s – thank you for the question because it of course is a sobering and humbling experience. I mean, sitting in the White House Situation Room was someplace that, you know, I’ve had an impression of for decades as someone who cared deeply about the work of government. It’s a very interesting experience to sort of be in the places where people are grappling at the national level with these challenges. And I think one thing that was quite clear is that the level and number of challenges being experienced at this moment – we have few precedents in our history for this kind of combination of crises [inaudible]. And I think there’s a sane and very sober mood about how to handle these things. So, it was powerful to experience it here in the center of things. But I will also say, personally, part of this is not so new to me because of my experiences over the years – when I had involvement with President Clinton and Secretary Clinton. And so there’s a certain reality to the dynamics of security and the way meetings are held and the kind of information that flows that’s not at all new to me, but having these meetings at this level of course was a new experience – and a powerful experience. But what was most gratifying – I have to tell you – the appreciation – it was really palpable – the sense that New York City was doing things that the federal government was so appreciative of, a sense that, you know, New York City goes regularly above and beyond the call in a way that’s tremendously helpful to the FBI, that’s tremendously helpful to the Department of Homeland Security. Hearing that from the decision-makers, from the people who are guiding our national security efforts – and it wasn’t canned, it wasn’t superficial – it was truly deeply-felt appreciation. I think it’s something all New Yorkers should understand – that the extraordinary efforts we make every day actually benefit our whole nation.

Question: Mayor, one last question over here – off topic. If you could just –

Mayor: Wait – we want to see if anyone has an on – let’s just stick within this first – anyone else have anything on? Going once. Going twice. I think you saw the future. Yes, off topic –

Question: If you could just give us your reaction – does your continued support of the first lady’s chief of staff undermine the relationship that you’re trying to build with law enforcement?

Mayor: Not at all. Not at all – and I think it’s a reality in terms of – from day one, my sense that the men and women of the NYPD are doing a fantastic job, that there’s a lot that I believe we have to do to support their work. We’ve made a lot of investments in the NYPD already. We are working all the time to try and improve the relationship between the NYPD and the community. I have to tell you – my views on what the NYPD has accomplished historically came from my work at the community level – when I was a city councilman working with four precincts in my district. But it also gave me the opportunity to talk to lots of cops and understand their lives, understand their needs. And part of why I became so adamant about the need, for example, to change what I thought was a broken policy with stop-and-frisk was we have to get police and community back together. We have to get the partnership restarted. And I can’t tell you how many police officers have told me that they welcome that, that they needed that to be the reality again. I think Commissioner Bratton, Deputy Commissioner Miller, and the entire leadership of the NYPD has done an incredible job fostering that – and the retraining effort coming up will do that even more. So, you know, I’ve said very clearly – that’s the core of what we’re doing. I think people at the community level understand it. I think the rank and file of the NYPD understand it. I think other things, to me, are really not pertinent to the core of what we’re doing. Off topic, anything else? Going once. Going twice. There you go. Thank you.