Wouldn't you think ex-Police Commish Rickety Ray's
security will require a string of NYPD polo ponies?
security will require a string of NYPD polo ponies?
by Ken
When last we encountered departing NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, in "A holiday F.U. to NYC Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio from his friends in City Hall and especially at 1 Police Plaza," the snotbucket was thumbing his nose at Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio (who today announced his first appointments: Anthony Shorris as first deputy mayor, "responsible for day-to-day operations of city government"; Emma Wolf as director of intergovernmental affairs; and Dominic Williams as Mr. Shorris's chief of staff) by consigning his Police Department transition team to an unused trailer on the premises of 1 Police Plaza, subject to NYPD security and monitoring, and seeming quite pleased with his snotty self.
It's true that the mayor-elect has been openly critical of the commissioner's reliance on dubiously legal "stop and frisk" tactics, but one might think that an actual grown-up human person would understand that assisting in a smooth transition to the new administration is a minimal obligation of his to the people of the city. Unless of course he's just an egomaniacal pukepail suffering the delusion that he and his easy-way-out policing are all that ave stood between the Big Apple and chaos. And, by the way, doesn't give a flying fig about the safety and well-being of our citizens.
Now we hear the latest bulletin in a previous story about the commissioner's departure. Back in November, DNAinfo New York's "On the Inside" columnist Murray Weiss reported that, overturning most precedents, our Ray was had officially requested a security detail more suitable for an oil sheik -- a squad of six detectives, all remaining on the city's payroll -- to (as Murray put it) "shepherd him around town and protect him and his family during their travels." Buried in there was vague chatter about the commissioner having unspecified enemies, apparently in sizable quantity. Presumably the enemies in question aren't would-be assassins who believe, unlike the commissioner, that effective policing can be accomplished within the framework of the Constitution and applicable laws.
Now the ante has been upped for the Man Who Has Enemies. As Murray Weiss reports today, "Ray Kelly to Get 10-Officer Detail When He Leaves, Costing Taxpayers $1.5M." This comes not on request from Rickety Ray but on recommendation from the NYPD's Intelligence Division. (If you're wondering whether the commissioner perhaps has influence on his Intelligence Division, do you really wonder?)
The detail is to consist of a lieutenant, three sergeants and six detectives. Murray's sources explain that the lieutenant was added to the original six-detective detail to oversee it, and each of the three sergeants is to be paired with a two-detective team. 'Considering that the average salary of those officers is $140,000," Murray reports, "and adding overtime, the total cost to provide around-the-clock coverage for the spry 74-year-old commissioner could top $1.5 million, sources said."
Murray also notes that Emperor Mayor Mike will be taking 17 officers from his police detail with him, "but they will retire from the force and the billionaire mayor will then hire them at about $150,000 each." Apparently the world of Rickety Ray, who has been commissioner through all 12 years of the Mayor Mike imperium, has become much more insecure since he ended his first tenure in the job in 1994, when he took a lone detective to chauffeur him for four months.
Even that was unusual, Murray reports.
Generally, ex-commissioners eschew city-funded protection or pay for it themselves if they can afford it, or ultimately ask any future private sector employer to pick up the tab.As before, Murray's sources say that the ex-commissioner's security needs will be reevaluated after six months. The detail, although now recommended by the highly impartial NYPD Intelligence Division, will still need the OK of the incoming police commissioner and mayor. I wonder if that will come up for discussion in the police transition team's trailer. (And if so, will Rickety Ray's people be listening in?)
Only one other police commissioner has ever accepted taxpayer-funded police protection after leaving office.
In August 2000, Howard Safir, who was commissioner for four years, took a 12-member contingent to protect him around the clock. He said the security was necessary because of vague threats against him.
After seven months, the detail was pared down to a sergeant and seven detectives. At the time, the size of his detail was sharply criticized by NYPD observers and good government groups.
Former commissioner Bernard Kerik, who was in his post on 9/11, took no security. After leaving office, he worked for Giuliani Partners, which funded his protection until he was sentenced to four years in prison on corruption charges.
Former police commissioner Bill Bratton also declined publicly financed security when he departed the NYPD.
#
