Ray Kelly and Others Deserve a Security Detail

What You Should Know
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District
718-991-3161
 
Ray Kelly and Others Deserve a Security Detail
 
You should know that Jamie Schram and Danika Fears wrote an article in the November 10, 2014 edition of the New York Post titled "Ray Kelly to lose his taxpayer-funded security detail."  According to that article:
 
"While city Comptroller Scott Stringer tools around town with an elite security detail of highly trained NYPD detectives in tow, the Police Department’s former top cop is about to lose his own protective posse.  Ex-NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, 73 — who received death threats while at the department’s helm — was recently told that his taxpayer-funded security detail will be disbanded at the end of the year, sources told The Post on Monday."
 
You should also know that last week, in a different article, the New York Post reported about New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer's gross abuse of his security detail team.  They also reported about two other New York City elected officials who drain our police resources to provide security teams: Public Advocate Letitia James, and the New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
 
On the other hand my dear reader, you should also know that I have not met one person who thinks it is acceptable for New York City to end the security detail for former New York City Police Department Commissioner Ray Kelly.  The New York Post reports:
 
"As commissioner, the tough-on-terrorism Kelly faced death threats that included a 9/11 conspiracy theorist calling 911 in 2009 and warning, “Tell Commissioner Kelly he’s dead. Kelly also would have been a potential kidnapping target, said Thomas Reppetto, former president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City and a onetime Chicago police commander. “He knows an awful lot of secrets,” Reppetto told The Post. “That’s why I imagine they gave him a detail for a while.”
 
As far as big secrets go, I have to ask myself, what kind of big secrets could Scott Stringer have that outweigh those of Ray Kelly?  Scott Stinger might have little secrets about how much taxpayer money he spent as the City Comptroller to hire someone to renovate and redecorate his government office - instead of allocating those resources to New Yorkers in need such as the homeless or to senior citizens or to education or to health care?   Even those secrets would surely pale in comparison to Ray Kelly's.
 
You should know that New York City has a disgraceful history of dropping security details for our top officials.  Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch - who distinguished himself as New York City’s Mayor for 12 years - did not have a security detail after he left office.  That was a disgrace!  Does anyone believe that these quality of life decisions are well thought out?
 
Ladies and gentlemen, I am sure that you are equally astounded to learn about this gross disparity in the management of New York City's security detail, and I am calling upon my colleagues in government to right this wrong - right away.  The leaders of the State Legislature should start thinking about introducing legislation that authorizes New York City to provide security details to some officials whose life and whose family may be in jeopardy after leaving their position.

While I may appreciate why the Public Advocate - who is next in line if the sitting Mayor is unable to fulfill the duties of the office - should be entitled to a police detail, I cannot understand how nor why Melissa Mark-Viverito should have one. She only has one vote in the City Council, and she was not elected to serve as Speaker by New York's voters.  Compared to Ray Kelly she doesn’t need a seven member police detail and her police detail should be transferred to Kelly.
 
You should already know that besides all of that, Ms. Mark-Viverito is the most unpatriotic member of the New York City Council and shows that every time she refuses to place her hand over her heart when our National Anthem is sung and the United States of America's flag - that people fought and died for - is on display. If she despises America and Americans and what we stand for, why should we pay to have her chauffeured around to go to "official events and on personal errands, including shopping, parties and even out-of-town weekend getaways?”

We should remove some of Scott Stringer’s and Melissa Mark-Viverito’s special anti-terrorist police unit details and assign them to Ray Kelly and others who carry more important National, State and City security information in their brains.

This is Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.