New York State of Mind

He says what he thinks and he truly thinks what he says. Kelly differs from some others who are big on bravado but fizzle a bit when it comes to results. He is one that is reminiscent of the old Merrill Lynch commercials. When Ray speaks, the crowd gets very, very quiet because you know that he is about to say something that should be heard. He has that credibility. After all, he does oversee the largest police department in the United States. His knowledge on all things in the criminal justice venue are well documented and his expertise is sought after not only in our country but internationally.<br /> <br /> He recently caused a stir when he was summoned to the United Kingdom by Prime Minister David Cameron to look into the recent civil unrest in their country. It did not go over well with Scotland Yard's but you can't deny his success. But, Kelly made a statement this week that was really a shocker; even to those who know and respect the long list of successes in his law enforcement career. Kelly stated that the New York Police Department, without outside assistance from the military, was capable of shooting down an airplane in another 9/11 type scenario. Now that's a bold statement. Whether it is true or not deserves a little more digging.<br /> <br /> Kelly went on to say that the New York Police Department has a 50 caliber weapon that could take flight, via one of the helicopters in the aviation fleet. That part of the plan is certainly doable. The challenge would seemingly come from being able to get off a shot from a moving helicopter and actually hit a plane moving at several hundred miles per hour. I'm no forensic or firearm expert but it seems that it would take some super duper Wild Bill Hickok type shooting to pull that off. But, under the right circumstances, the right wind, and the perfect convergence of the laws of physics, I suppose it could hypothetically occur. It would be tough, but it could occur. Other things like the size of the plane, advanced notice, etcetera would have to be included in this calculation, but it is possible. They tell me that a 50 caliber carries a fairly healthy dosage of power capable of penetrating steel and cement from a considerable distance.<br /> <br /> Personally, I hope that it is possible. Our military is the best in the world, but why not have a plan B if plan A should run into trouble? It might make a would-be nutcase think a bit knowing that the military and the NYPD are capable of making his devious plans go up in smoke; literally. If nothing else, it is remindful of the tactics used by Clint Eastwood in the old Dirty Harry movies. Who doesn't remember the famous line, "Do you feel lucky punk?" It may or may not be a deterrent to would be terrorists. But I will tell you what will not be a deterrent; complacency. That is what got us into this mess to start with.<br /> <br /> Many are quick to step out and call Kelly's statement ridiculous and impossible. I'm not so sure about that. He has made great strides in making NY a safer place than where he found it. I was recently in the City and found it to have a safer environment, or at least that was my perception, than what I feel in certain parts of metropolitan Atlanta. I stood in Times Square at 1:00 a.m. with thousands of others and did not feel afraid. Would you do that in Atlanta? I'm not so sure.<br /> <br /> Kelly went on to say that he had also installed a series of surveillance cameras throughout the city that would allow the PD to know about a potential attack before the attack ever occurred. These results have already been documented in a couple of failed car bomb attempts that were recorded on these cameras. Even those who complain about an invasion of privacy have remained fairly quiet about the cameras based on their apparent results. He stated that he had also sent some of the NYPD officers overseas to have first hand knowledge of potential threats that may come his way. It sounds like he is using every resource that he has to fight back against a threat that prefers to operate in the dark of the night. He has thrown a little illumination on that darkness that allows for the creodonts to stand out a bit more than they prefer. Crazy? Maybe so, but the old saying "crazy like a fox" does come to mind with Kelly.<br /> <br /> This man takes terrorism seriously. He is not just someone who makes outlandish statements and then backs away when evidence of the claims are called for. The last time I checked, there had not been a second attack in New York City since the original 9-11 event. You have to believe that this is just not a coincidence. Someone has been doing some pretty good police work. Maybe it has not just been the NYPD but I suspect that they are right in the middle of it. No one could ever imagine the totality of the events of 9-11. And we all hope that we will never see such a cowardly abomination again. There are some things about the Big Apple that I love and some things that I would just as soon not be apart of. But when it comes to protecting the city, the people who live there, and the integrity of this nation, I'm all in.<br /> <br /> To Ray Kelly and the New York Police Department