NYC And Feds Pissing Contest Provides Porous Protection

Intelligence officials are arguing over monitoring of suspected terrorists in our area. The feds are delaying approval of surveillance applications believing New York wants too much leeway which may be illegal. They insist on "working with" the NYPD to ensure that that NYC act “consistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States.” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is saying that this delay makes NYC less safe. Generally, the feds submitted warrant requests to the FISA court in Washington for approval. Must we entertain the enemy by becoming our own worst enemy?

IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog is a quick comment on an older New York City news headline. Unforeseen NYCo site development delays prevented it’s publication before now. For readership continuity, 100’s of older headlines are to be posted in chronological order until this blog is current. Though some of the stories may no longer be as relevant as they once were, they remain interesting news items worthy of this site’s mention and viewer comments.

[This is a copyrighted editorial, originally published on http://www.NEWYORKCITYonline.com/NYC-Online/blog.php. We invite you to post your comments and reply to others! This piece may be duplicated or printed with permission.]

Ex-Felon Ex-GI Wanted NYPD

Osvaldo Hernandez was once convicted for carrying a gun illegally. Later, he carried one with honor in Afghanistan as a highly decorated paratrooper for the United States Army. He was hoping a Queens judge would restore his right to bear arms … this time for the New York City Police Department. If this happened, he would probably be the first ex-bad guy would carry a badge. If the judge decided in his favor, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, an ex-Marine, would have made the final decision. Osvaldo served his country. It’s hoped that he was given the chance to serve his community with the same distinction.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog is a quick comment on an older New York City news headline. Unforeseen NYCo website development delays prevented it’s publication before now. For readership continuity, 100’s of older headlines are to be posted in chronological order until this blog is current. Though some of the stories may no longer be as relevant as they once were, they remain interesting news items worthy of this site’s mention and viewer comments.

[This is a copyrighted editorial, originally published on http://www.NEWYORKCITYonline.com/NYC-Online/blog.php. We invite you to post your comments and reply to others! This piece may be duplicated or printed with permission.]

NYPD Big Blue Boo-boo

Should a current NYPD Commissioner promote one of their corporate suppliers? Police Commissioner Raymond Kelley did just that for IBM. In a two minute commercial, Kelley was touting IBM’s technology and praising it for helping to solve crimes more quickly. The computer equipment was purchased with the support of the not-for-profit Police Foundation group. The commercial’s concept was IBM’s approach to advertise its problem-solving, solution-based business. To the best of anyone’s knowledge, no NYPD official ever acted in a similar manner. Deputy Commissioner Paul Brown said the video was not done to benefit IBM but to “highlight” the Center, “which the department and the Police Foundation are very proud of.” Kelley was not paid for his services. In the future, it might be best to promote NYPD successes in local news headlines and improved crime statistics, rather than in commercial endorsements. Save those for a real New York cop/actor ... like Dennis.

NYPD BlueTube

Big Brother wants to watch you. Actually, the New York City Police Department wants to watch what you see and video-record if it contains evidence of criminal activity. Very soon, they’ll make it very easy for people to upload videos and text, direct to 911. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says this will increase the flow of information which in turn will help law enforcement and make New York a safer place to live and work. As most sports fans know, video replay of a close play can eliminate doubt and bring the truth to light. In that light, this is a good program. Evidence will help protect the rights of the innocent and to obtain justice when necessary; depending on the camera angle, of course. It remains to be seen whether or not police receive many spiteful videos from neighbors filming neighbors littering or not cleaning up after their dogs. This new system may become an invasion of privacy for some but may ultimately prove to "make better neighbors" than Benjamin Franklin's fences.

Police’s Paltry Starting Salary Hurts Hires

NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly testified that within a few months, the lowest number of uniformed officers since the early 1990’s will be on duty. He says it’s directly related to the low starting salary of only $25,100. That is low! The entire force deserves tremendous praise in recent years for drastic crime reduction across the board. It’s not difficult to forecast though that at some point (probably soon), without enough boots on the ground to enforce the law, crime rates will surely rise. I suggest that those in power immediately approve a rate increase for new hires. At the same time, they must demand hourly accountability from those already on the force. NYC residents should always get their money’s worth whatever they pay for. One more thing to those still uncertain. We can pay them our cops better now … or pay for it in bad statistics later.