End of watch for ex-NYPD Commish Bernie Kerik, 1955-2025
A high-school dropout from Paterson, NJ, he joined the Army and eventually earned his GED while stationed at Fort Bragg (and, much later, a college degree).
A few years after leaving the service, he joined the NYPD in 1986, earning the department's Medal of Valor for saving his partner in a gun battle.
He shifted to the Department of Correction in '94, rising to head it in '98.
At DOC, he led a complete turnaround of the Rikers Island jail complex, ending an epidemic of inmate violence.
In 2000, recalled his old boss, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, 'He became police commissioner when they thought crime couldn't be reduced any further, yet he reduced it further. His work helped New York become the safest big city in America and a shining example of urban renaissance.'
In his 16 months as the city's top cop, he was lauded for his hands-on leadership — even making five arrests, plus collaring two ex-cons driving a stolen van in Harlem — and presiding over a 63% drop in violent crime.
He'd just written a memoir of his rise, 'The Lost Son,' when the planes hit the towers.
After 9/11, Kerik's work overseeing NYPD rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero led to his honorary appointment as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and brought him to the attention of President George W. Bush, who tapped him to organize Iraq's provisional police force and then named him to head the newly-created Department of Homeland Security.
Then the roof fell in, as the vetting process uncovered some stupid mistakes that torpedoed the nomination and eventually led him to plead guilty to federal tax fraud and do four years' hard time.
Yet Kerik bounced back, eventually penning his second best-seller, 'From Jailer to Jailed: My Journey from Correction and Police Commissioner to Inmate #84888-054.'
He devoted much of his later years to prison issues and (sensible) criminal-justice reform.
Bernard Kerik was a cop's cop.
Rest in peace.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
20 minutes ago
- New York Post
Owner of boat where Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra died once sued for allegedly biting FDNY firefighter on 20th anniversary of 9/11
The owner of the Montauk-docked boat where designer Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra died was once sued for allegedly biting a retired FDNY firefighter on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 at a Manhattan concert. Former smoke-eater Michael Balfe, a Ground Zero first responder, claimed he was attacked by Christopher Durnan, 60, during a show at Webster Hall on Sept. 11, 2021, according to a civil suit he filed the following year. The lawsuit alleges Durnan 'bit and assaulted' Balfe in an unprovoked attack. Balfe 'sustained serious and permanent injuries, suffered, does suffer and will continue to suffer agony to body and mind,' the since-settled suit alleged. 3 Christopher Durnan, 60, the last person to see Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra alive was once sued for biting a 9/11 FDNY first responder in an unprovoked attack at Webster Hall. Obtained by the NY Post Durnan had rejected any wrongdoing, arguing Balfe initiated the fight and that his 'use of force was reasonable under the circumstances' according to court papers. Durnan was criminally charged after the incident with assault with intent to cause physical injury, recklessly cause physical injury, possession of a controlled substance, attempted assault in the third degree, and harassment, according to court records. He ultimately pled guilty to a disorderly conduct charge. The civil suit was settled in December 2023, records show. 3 Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra, 33, died on Aug. 5 onboard boat The Ripple which is owned by Chris Durnan and docked at the Montauk Yacht Club on Aug. 5. Facebook / Martha Nolan 'Out of respect for the family of the woman who tragically passed away and Mr. Balfe's own family, Michael will not be making a comment on the prior case involving Christoher Durnan,' the former firefighter's lawyer, Darren Moore, told The Post. Moore emphasized that his client didn't pay any party when the lawsuit was settled. Durnan, an insurance mogul with a plush pad in Montauk and another home in Long Beach, owns the boat The Ripple, where Nolan-O'Slatarra was found dead on Aug. 5, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. A lawyer for Nolan-O'Slatarra's family revealed that homicide detectives are 'questioning' individuals in relation to the tragic death of the chic East End entrepreneur. 'They want more details,' Aidala told The Post. 'The circumstances surrounding this are far from typical.' 3 Records show Durnan owns both The Ripple and the boat next to it named Hell In A Bucket. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post 'They would like to know anyone who was with Martha that evening,' Aidala continued. 'Earlier that evening, at the time of the actual incident, we know one person who was there. Was anyone else around?' Durnan could not be reached for comment.
CBS News
21 minutes ago
- CBS News
16-year-old girl shot in the head on the Lower East Side, NYPD says
A 16-year-old girl was shot in the head on the Lower East Side on Thursday afternoon, the NYPD said. Incredibly, the teen is expected to survive and is being treated at a nearby hospital. Police say the teen was shot inside a building at 210 Stanton St., just south of East Houston by Ridge Street, but it's unclear if it was a targeted shooting or if the victim was an innocent bystander. Police say the gunman is still on the loose and was last seen wearing a gray tank top and fleeing eastbound on Stanton. Please stay with CBS News New York for more on this developing story. Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
NYPD releases dramatic body cam footage of officers tackling alleged teen gunman in Brooklyn chase
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) on Thursday shared body-camera video that appears to show an officer tackling a 15-year-old boy accused of opening fire in Brooklyn. In a video posted to X, police could be seen chasing a teen down a Brooklyn sidewalk and quickly removing a gun from his hip-area. The 15-year-old is charged with criminal possession of a loaded gun, criminal possession of a loaded gun near a school, and criminal possession of a gun. A tan 9 mm handgun was confiscated by NYPD, which later shared the video in a message to the community. "Our @NYPD67Pct officers wasted no time when shots rang out in broad daylight," the post read. "They ran toward the danger, closing in fast on the suspect. One arrest. One illegal gun recovered. One neighborhood safer." NYPD officials told Fox News the incident happened just before 5 p.m. Saturday after dispatchers received a 911 call for shots fired in the 67 Precinct. Once officers arrived, they learned a boy had allegedly shot at another person. Once spotted by law enforcement, the teen took off, leading officers on a chase down the street. "A show up with the witness was conducted, and the witness identified the apprehended subject as the intended target of the shooting," officials said. It is unclear if any additional charges are pending. A motive has not yet been released.
