Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2972
"I salute and congratulate the 99 members of the New York City Police Department who are being promoted today," Mayor Giuliani said. "Whether you are becoming a sergeant or a deputy chief, you know it is not easy to build a career in the greatest police department in the world. It takes courage, commitment, integrity and a devotion to duty. Thanks to the great job you've done, new life, new energy and new opportunities are returning to our communities."
"Today's promotion ceremony marks another great day for the New York City Police Department," Commissioner Safir said. "Each of you are being promoted at a very exciting time in our City, as crime continues to decrease and our department continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers. For those of you being promoted to detective sergeant and lieutenant, your experience and dedication to duty must now be matched by a renewed sense of responsibility, as you oversee those who serve on the front lines against crime. For inspectors and chiefs, the Mayor and I will be asking even more from you as the top tier of leadership in this department."
The Mayor and the Police Commissioner congratulated newly appointed Deputy Commissioner for Community Affairs, Yolanda Jimenez. She has been the Acting Deputy Commissioner since March 23, 1996. Since January 1993, Deputy Commissioner Jimenez had been Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Community Affairs and had been responsible for planning and developing programs geared towards public safety, crime prevention and youth services. During today's ceremony, 47 police officers were promoted to sergeant, 11 officers to detective investigator, 23 sergeants to lieutenant, five captains to deputy inspector, four deputy inspectors to inspector and four inspectors to deputy chief.