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American Morning

Interview with NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly

Aired September 11, 2003 - 07:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Two years after 9/11, New York City's police force lives with the belief that New York City is still the No. 1 target for terrorists.
Joining us this morning to look at what has changed in the city since the attacks is police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Nice to see you as always. Thank you.

RAYMOND KELLY, NYC POLICE COMMISSIONER: Good morning, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Good morning.

After 9/11, there were so many lessons learned. Can you look now forward and say, we are in good shape should, God forbid, another attack like that again?

KELLY: Well, we're certainly in much better than we were on September 11, but there is still a lot of work to do. In our own police department, we've created a kind of terrorism bureau. We've brought in consummate professionals to man that bureau. We've beefed up our intelligence division. We have a lot more information, obviously a lot of focus on counterterrorism.

But clearly, this is unchartered waters for all of us. We're learning every day. We have 1,000 officers devoted to counterterrorism.

O'BRIEN: Much was made, of course, of the chaos, and the transcripts that came out, were made public, of just how the communications seemed, in many cases, to out and out fail. Has that been improved? Can you say with confidence that that wouldn't happen again?

KELLY: Yes, it's better. Obviously in a situation like a terrorist attack, it's going to be chaotic initially, but our communication systems are better. The fire department's communication system is better. We now communicate more effectively with each other, but it's not perfect.

O'BRIEN: The federal government promised billions of dollars. How much of that money has been forthcoming? And how much do you think you still need to do what you're doing in counterterrorism?

KELLY: We need a lot more. Some money has come in. It's actually trickled in. It's coming in at a very slow rate. It's certainly less than what we asked for. We're doing the job. We could do a better job with more money, particularly in the area of training. We need what we call cohort training, where units train together, you know, as they would respond to an event.

O'BRIEN: So, you think there is a direct impact on the lack of funds that you're getting from the federal government and New York City's preparedness today?

KELLY: Yes, I think we've done a lot. I think additional resources would help us do more and make us more effective.

O'BRIEN: How about the effectiveness of the Homeland Security Department? Do you feel, especially with this new counterterrorism office that's been created, that the information that you're getting and the connection between all of the different intelligence information that's coming in, that you're getting that, getting good access to that?

KELLY: It's much better. We certainly have much greater access than was given two years ago. I think there are fundamental issues of just what the country has as far as intelligence is concerned. But in terms of sharing, I think what the federal government has it's getting out to localities, certainly to New York City in a much more efficient manner.

O'BRIEN: We've heard so much about security being beefed up, being significantly improved, and then you hear stories about fishermen who wander around the tarmac at an airport, or a young man who ships himself via cargo plane halfway across the country. How do you fix those big problems?

KELLY: Well, you fix them when you see them. It's not perfect by any means. And as I say, we're learning every day. We're much better off than we were two years ago. We have a lot of work to do, a lot of training, a lot of equipment. And I think that, you know, there's a sense of complacency that kicks in, certainly with the public. We have to guard against that. Government has to guard against that. New York City has to guard against it, the police department.

I think we're doing that. But, yes, we're going to find holes. Virtually every day, we try to repair them and go on.

O'BRIEN: New York City police Commissioner Ray Kelly, it's nice to have you. Thank you for joining us.

KELLY: It's good to be with you.

O'BRIEN: Appreciate your time.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired September 11, 2003 - 07:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Two years after 9/11, New York City's police force lives with the belief that New York City is still the No. 1 target for terrorists.
Joining us this morning to look at what has changed in the city since the attacks is police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Nice to see you as always. Thank you.

RAYMOND KELLY, NYC POLICE COMMISSIONER: Good morning, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Good morning.

After 9/11, there were so many lessons learned. Can you look now forward and say, we are in good shape should, God forbid, another attack like that again?

KELLY: Well, we're certainly in much better than we were on September 11, but there is still a lot of work to do. In our own police department, we've created a kind of terrorism bureau. We've brought in consummate professionals to man that bureau. We've beefed up our intelligence division. We have a lot more information, obviously a lot of focus on counterterrorism.

But clearly, this is unchartered waters for all of us. We're learning every day. We have 1,000 officers devoted to counterterrorism.

O'BRIEN: Much was made, of course, of the chaos, and the transcripts that came out, were made public, of just how the communications seemed, in many cases, to out and out fail. Has that been improved? Can you say with confidence that that wouldn't happen again?

KELLY: Yes, it's better. Obviously in a situation like a terrorist attack, it's going to be chaotic initially, but our communication systems are better. The fire department's communication system is better. We now communicate more effectively with each other, but it's not perfect.

O'BRIEN: The federal government promised billions of dollars. How much of that money has been forthcoming? And how much do you think you still need to do what you're doing in counterterrorism?

KELLY: We need a lot more. Some money has come in. It's actually trickled in. It's coming in at a very slow rate. It's certainly less than what we asked for. We're doing the job. We could do a better job with more money, particularly in the area of training. We need what we call cohort training, where units train together, you know, as they would respond to an event.

O'BRIEN: So, you think there is a direct impact on the lack of funds that you're getting from the federal government and New York City's preparedness today?

KELLY: Yes, I think we've done a lot. I think additional resources would help us do more and make us more effective.

O'BRIEN: How about the effectiveness of the Homeland Security Department? Do you feel, especially with this new counterterrorism office that's been created, that the information that you're getting and the connection between all of the different intelligence information that's coming in, that you're getting that, getting good access to that?

KELLY: It's much better. We certainly have much greater access than was given two years ago. I think there are fundamental issues of just what the country has as far as intelligence is concerned. But in terms of sharing, I think what the federal government has it's getting out to localities, certainly to New York City in a much more efficient manner.

O'BRIEN: We've heard so much about security being beefed up, being significantly improved, and then you hear stories about fishermen who wander around the tarmac at an airport, or a young man who ships himself via cargo plane halfway across the country. How do you fix those big problems?

KELLY: Well, you fix them when you see them. It's not perfect by any means. And as I say, we're learning every day. We're much better off than we were two years ago. We have a lot of work to do, a lot of training, a lot of equipment. And I think that, you know, there's a sense of complacency that kicks in, certainly with the public. We have to guard against that. Government has to guard against that. New York City has to guard against it, the police department.

I think we're doing that. But, yes, we're going to find holes. Virtually every day, we try to repair them and go on.

O'BRIEN: New York City police Commissioner Ray Kelly, it's nice to have you. Thank you for joining us.

KELLY: It's good to be with you.

O'BRIEN: Appreciate your time.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.