Raymond W. Kelly

What goes around sometimes comes around. Ray Kelly, who has logged more than 30 years in public service and law enforcement, has returned to his roots for a second tour of duty as New York City’s top cop. To accept this position, he was willing to take a cut in pay from the job he’d held for less than a year: head of global security for the investment bank, Bear Stearns.

Prior to his brief stint at Bear Stearns, Ray Kelly served as commissioner of the United States Customs Service, where he directed over 19,000 employees responsible for enforcing hundreds of laws and international agreements which protect the American public, and as Under Secretary for Enforcement at the Treasury Department. In his current position as New York City police commissioner, he has responsibility for almost 40,000 police and civilian employees.

Raymond W. Kelly is a former Marine who served in combat in Vietnam and retired as a colonel. He rose through the ranks of the New York City Police Department, serving in 25 commands before named police commissioner by Mayor David Dinkins in August 1992, a post he held until his retirement in January 1994. His leadership was praised during the successful investigation of the World Trade Center bombing in 1993.

During the crisis in Haiti in 1994, President Bill Clinton named Mr. Kelly Director of the International Police Monitors of the multinational force. These monitors helped to establish Haiti’s interim public security force.

In October 1997 Mr. Kelly was elected Vice President of the Americas for INTERPOL.

Mr. Kelly is an attorney with law degrees from St. John’s University and New York University, where he has lectured on the law, public policy, and crisis management. He is a graduate of Manhattan College and holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Marist College in May 1995, Manhattan College in 1996, the College of St. Rose in 1997, and St. John’s University in 1998 in recognition of his distinguished career in public service.