BETTER LATE, THAN NEVER

Forty years to the day, after Joanne Chesimard, a member of the Black Liberation Party, shot and killed New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, she has earned her due, as the first woman to be placed on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists.

Chesimard, who later changed her name to Assata Shakur, killed Foerster on May 2, 1973, during a traffic stop in New Brunswick on the New Jersey Turnpike. She was subsequently arrested, and convicted for his murder.

In 1979, she escaped from prison, hid out in Pennsylvania for a while, and a few years later, popped up in Cuba, where she has lived ever since.

Today, the FBI, and the State of New Jersey announced a reward of $2 million, for the capture of Chesimard.

For the New Jersey State Police, and those that remember the murder, and her escape, I suppose making that list today, is better late than never.

As for the $2 million reward, I know plenty of volunteers that would be more than glad to grab her, and bring her back where she belongs... reward or not!

OUR FIGHT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

During this morning's cable news coverage of the unfolding events in Boston, a newspaper reporter, made every attempt to downplay the danger and threats to our country by "self-radicalized" terrorists, like the two identified Chechnyan suspects, of the Boston bombings, saying they weren't as dangerous as the 9/11 terrorists.

Tell that to the families of the three dead, the 13 amputees or the 170 wounded at the marathon bombing, or to the family of the MIT Police Officer that was killed last night!
Had these two terrorists walked into a crowded theater, secured the doors, and detonated similar devices as the ones they used at the marathon finish line, the death and devastation could have been catastrophic.

They have done it before. Islamic Chechnyan extremists, just like the ones involved in the Boston Marathon bombing, walked into a Russian movie theater, secured the doors, and slaughtered as many people as they could on the inside. I wonder if the families of those killed in that movie theater believe that the events of 9/11 was any worse of an attack than that, that took the lives of their loved ones.
I don't care where these two suspects were born, or how, why, and when they were radicalized; other than to identify possible accomplices or organizations with which that may have been affiliated and could still pose a threat to America.

You can say they're "self-radicalized," or call them Al-Qaeda, Chechnyan extremists, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood, or a lone wolf. You can give them any title you wish, but the bottom line is that radical Islamic extremism is on the rise globally, and it is an enemy of the United States and other countries around the world that live in freedom.
To those extremists, any non-Muslim is their enemy, and that gives them the right of Jihad, a Holy War against that enemy.

That ideology is a threat to every American in this country, and until we come to the realization that that threat is a clear and present danger, our God given rights to live in peace and freedom is at stake.
As we watch the events in Boston unfold, please take a moment to extend your thoughts and prayers to the families of those killed and injured, and to the courageous local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, who are putting their lives on the line, in an historic battle between good and evil.

God Bless all of them, and God Bless America.

A WORLD OF REALITY

Anyone that is surprised by Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon, have either been sleeping for the past 11 years, or they are still not living in a world of reality. The two successive explosions that left three dead, and  more than 180 wounded at the finish line of the marathon, is a reminder that the threats of terror against our citizens still exist, and that vigilance, and security planning and preparation, are a must.

Long before the attacks of September 11, 2001, New York City's police department, and other emergency service agencies, were probably the best in the world, at preparing for, and handling security operations for large scale events like the New York City Marathon, the New Year's Eve Celebration at Times Square, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day, and the Saint Patrick's Day Parades, and more.

In the aftermath of 9/11, came the realization, that New York City remains the premier target for terrorists, and that even New York City would have to do more, when it came to securing the city from the threats of terror.

Securing a marathon is not an easy task, but there are some basic precautionary measures that can be taken to secure this 26 mile soft target: Constant bombs sweeps of crowded, and high profile areas, trash receptacles and mail boxes must be removed, sewer and manhole covers must be secured, and people with back packs must be searched before being allowed into secure areas. Cops standing at the barriers have to watch the crowds and spectators for suspicious activity, not the runners, and technical and intelligent video coverage of high risk and highly populated areas are a must.

The two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were replicas of those quite often used in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan: a pressure cooker or metal container, laden with explosives, and loaded with small pieces of metal shrapnel, such as nuts, bolts, ball bearings and nails, the same kind of stuff that a suicidal bomber builds into their explosive belts and vests. The detonator for these types of devices iseither attached timers, remote controls like your garage door and car door openers, or a cell phone. Law enforcement authorities need to consider jamming frequencies of high threat areas, or at least have the capability to do so in the event of a possible threat, or in a case like this, to possibly prevent the detonation of a secondary or tertiary IED.

On the same day of the Boston bombings, there were 25 bombings in Iraq, that left 67 dead, and 274 injured. Israel has been living with the threat of these types of attacks for years, and unfortunately, this too, has become the world we live in as Americans. Anyone that thinks otherwise, or doubts that reality, is delusional.

Law enforcement and first responders all over the country must be prepared to respond and react to threats like these, and they need to be funded for the training, equipment and the resources to do so.

Our political leadership needs to focus on their constituents, not their offices or their elections. This isn't about the right or left, or Republican or Democrat, and it has nothing to do with the damned sequester!This is about the security of our communities and our nation, and insuring that federal, state and local law enforcement, have what they need to do their jobs.

The American public needs to be educated. If you were walking down a street, or through a mall in Tel-Aviv, the site of an abandoned package, would set off immediate alarms, and a response by the authorities. People here are often oblivious to their surroundings. The days of minding your own business are over. If you see something or someone that appears suspicious, you need to notify the police, and let them do their job. The security of our communities and of our country depends on it.

It is way too early to tell who is responsible for this cowardly attack, and our thirst for answers only creates guessing and speculation which serves no real purpose. However, there are a few things of which I am positive.

First, the Boston Police, and first responders showed determination, courage and valor, in their response to, and handling of this tragic event. Even after the second IED was detonated, knowing there could be more devices, theystill ran toward the explosions to assist and evacuate the dead and injured.

Boston will recover stronger than ever, and every American will unite behind them, as only Americans do. And lastly, I couldn't agree more with President Barack Obama when he said that we will find those responsible for this attack, and bring them to justice.

There is no where they can run, or hide. We will hunt them down, and demonstrate to the world, that they will never get away with attacking our citizens, or this great nation.

And this is a reality that they can count on.

BERNARD B. KERIK

CHIEF JOSEPH ESPOSITO

This afternoon, the New York City Police Department's Chief of Department, Joseph Esposito, walked out of One Police Plaza, for the last time as chief, as he retired after 44 years with the department.

Two days after I was appointed police commissioner in August 2000, I called then Assistant Chief Esposito to my office to discuss his future with the NYPD. As a two star assistant chief, he was a borough commander in Brooklyn, and one of the most decorated and respected chiefs in the agency.
I told him that I was looking for someone to replace Joseph Dunne, the department's former chief, who had been promoted to my first deputy. I told him that I wanted a chief of department that the men and women in the department respected, that would lead by example, and who could help me continue to reduce crime, enhance community relations, and that could bolster the morale of the men and women in the field.

For the first few minutes of our conversation, he thought I was asking for his recommendation. I was not.

"Do you want it?" I asked.

Two days later, on the morning of August 25, 2000, he was sworn in as the New York City Police Department's  Chief of Department - the highest ranking uniform member of the agency.
I told him that morning, that he would be the best chief, the department had ever seen, and he has easily lived up to my expectations.

Joe Esposito will go down in New York City's history, as not only the longest reigning chief, and most decorated; but without a doubt, the best there has ever been.
My wife Hala and I, wish him and his family all the best.

May God Bless them always.

BERNARD B. KERIK

DEATH OF MAN'S BEST FRIEND

 

In the spring of 1975, I was introduced to my new partner.
I was a U.S. Army military police officer, and he was a four year old German Shepherd, with which I would ultimately patrol and secure, one of our government s nuclear missile batteries, in Sak Sa Ni, South Korea.

With his army serial number, Y102, tattooed on the inside of his right ear, he stood on the inside of his kennel, staring and growling at me, as if I were the enemy. My sergeant said, "have a seat right there in front of him, feed him some meat and cheese every so often, and eventually he'll allow you in the kennel, so you can take him out for a walk."
Well, it wasn't as easy as it sounded. King was a sentry dog, one of the most aggressive types of working dogs in the U.S. armed forces. Their training consisted of basic obedience, agitation, and extremely aggressive attack work. They were not trained for socializing as police patrol dogs or house pets. They were trained to alert on intruders, attack them, and rip them to shreds, and King was quite good at his job.

Given that sentry dogs, were "one handler" dogs, his prior handler had left Korea to return to the United States, and I was to be his new partner and handler. That was if, he allowed me.
Over the next few days, he ate tons of treats, and I got closer to my new pal. And, once I got up the nerve to take him out of the kennel, we became one; A partnership, closer than most people would understand.

He was a stunning black and tan German Shepherd, and he looked just like Rin Tin Tin, another German Shepherd with U.S. Army roots. Rin Tin Tin, or Rinty as he was called, was found as a small pup in Lorrain, France, by U.S. Air Corporal, Lee Duncan, back in 1918, during World War I. He was eventually brought back to the U.S.. where he died at in 1932, but not before leaving a bloodline that wound up in a weekly TV adventure between 1954 and 1959, that every kid at the time, including me, loved and admired. It was he I thought of, when I first met, and began working with King.
King would respond to my voice, my hand commands, or to a look, or a movement. I didn't have to say a word, but he knew what I was thinking and why. With me, he was playful and loving, but with anyone else, he was deadly. He had no fear and he had no hesitation. If he perceived a threat, he dealt with it the way he knew how, and you didn't want to be on the receiving end.
In 1976, I left Korea, and I left King to a new handler. In the past 35 years, I have thought of him often.

Since then I have had many dogs, most recently, Duke and Duchess. Both German Shepherds, both trained like King, and playful, loving and caring members of my family. Both enormously protective.
For someone that has never had a dog, or a pet of any kind, it is difficult to understand, how close you can become to an animal. In June 2011, Duke passed away, and there are no words to explain how horrible that loss was, for me and my family. He is sadly missed, which is why I felt compelled to write about the recent loss of another German Shepherd.
His name was Ape, and he was 2 years and 4 months old, and had been on active duty for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for just over two weeks.
Two days ago, he was shot and killed by a deranged gunman, who had already shot and killed four people in Herkimer, New York.

Ape was a tactical dog, much like the one that accompanied the U.S. Navy SEALS on the raid that resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden. Equipped with a camera, he entered an abandoned bar in the small upstate New York town, with and FBI assault team behind him, in search for the murder suspect. As he breached the door, he was shot in the chest by the gunman, who was then shot and killed by the FBI.

Ape was transported to a local veterinarian, where he died from his wounds. He was later transported to FBI Headquarters, where he will be buried, and his name will be added to a memorial for dogs killed in the line of duty.

As someone who trained dogs for more than 30 years, I know that Ape died doing something he loved doing. It was what he was trained to do, and although it cost him his life, he saved the lives of his handler and teammates, which could have been killed or seriously hurt.

Dating back to the days of Rin Tin Tin, and King, military and police dogs have increasingly become an important tool, in military operations, and law enforcement. Ape's loss is a demonstration, of just how important their missions are, or deadly they could be.
As an American citizen, I am grateful for his service, and his ultimate sacrifice... for his loss allowed others to live.

As a dog handler and trainer, my thoughts and prayers are with his team members, and most importantly his handler and trainer. It is he or she that will feel this loss the most.
To his handler, Ape wasn't just a dog, or a pet, or a tool. He was a partner, a protector, and patriot, and most importantly, he was a best friend.

A friend that will be missed forever.

God Bless his teammates that put their lives on the line for this country, and may Ape, forever rest in peace.

BERNARD B. KERIK