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American Morning

Interview With Davidson Goldin

Aired July 24, 2003 - 09:35   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Davidson Goldin knows the inner workings of City Hall and also the people involved in yesterday's story. He's the host of "Inside City Hall," a program that airs on New York City's cable station New York 1. Davidson Goldin's with us here now on AMERICAN MORNING. Good morning to you.
DAVIDSON GOLDIN, HOST, "INSIDE CITY HALL": Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: Prior to yesterday how was security down there?

GOLDIN: Security prior to yesterday was fairly tight in the sense of anyone entering City Hall, unless they're an elected official, in theory, was supposed to pass through a metal detector. In practice in the last few months that had been be come somewhat looser. Members of the media who were familiar to the police officers who guard those metal detectors often could walk around them.

HEMMER: So if you came to work on a morning, any day, Monday through Friday and they recognized you and see you covering City Hall like you have for three-plus years, do you get a free pass?

GOLDIN: Often. Often there is a free pass. And there was a free pass as well for many of the staffers who worked in City Hall as well.

HEMMER: Why is it then over the past few months did this apparent security fell into a lapsed state?

GOLDIN: I don't know if it's fair to say it fell into a lapsed state as much as it's just sort of I think what happens in any work place. You know, after September 11 there was stepped up security there and there was a policy to have everyone go through the metal detectors including the city council members.

Then just over a year ago, there was a negotiated agreement between the City Council staff and the police department that said, these 51 City Council members, they work here, they come here every day. Let's let them go around metal detectors.

HEMMER: You touched something (UNINTELLIGIBLE) your answer. I believe it's quite possible that in places all across the country, they probably had a similar situation set up where if you were recognizable and familiar you were able to go through.

GOLDIN: I think we see that all of the time in the workplaces just with showing I.D. You come back with you lunch, your hands are full and the security guard recognizes you and kind of wings you through.

HEMMER: So you hope that yesterday, although tragic, that cost the lives of two men in New York City, this may ring true with everyone across the country to make sure that their security is buttoned down?

GOLDIN: Well interestingly enough at the U.S. Capitol Washington the same policy applies. Elected officials do not need to go through the magnetometers. And in fact often if there's a guest walking through with them will be waved by the Capitol Police around metal detector. Exactly what happened here in New York yesterday. The elected official following procedure was allowed to walk around and he brought his guest tragically around with him.

HEMMER: Isn't that the strange irony in all of this?

What did you know about Askew until yesterday?

GOLDIN: Not a thing. Not a darn thing. Never heard of him. In fact, he was originally as of a few weeks ago, a few months ago running against James Davis who he shot and killed. But when Councilman Davis a month ago was asked about his opponent Askew he said, I never heard of him or her. He didn't know if it was a guy or a woman.

HEMMER: So here's the mystery. Why go inside City Hall chambers? If he has a gun, he's being escorted by the man we're looking at right, you could have done this somewhere else. The ultimate question is why there, why yesterday and what resulted from this relationship?

GOLDIN: That's certainly the question that the New York Police Department will be investigating. One speculation has been that Askew clearly had political aspirations. Having political aspirations in New York has become much easier now that term limits are in place. Councilmen and elected official can't serve more than eight years which means that a lot of people who would have never had a shot at politics including former police officer James Davis himself now have a shot at becoming elected officials.

HEMMER: Davison Goldin, I hope you day's more quite today than yesterday. Thanks for talking with us.

GOLDIN: Thanks.

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 July 24, 2003 - 09:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Davidson Goldin knows the inner workings of City Hall and also the people involved in yesterday's story. He's the host of "Inside City Hall," a program that airs on New York City's cable station New York 1. Davidson Goldin's with us here now on AMERICAN MORNING. Good morning to you.
DAVIDSON GOLDIN, HOST, "INSIDE CITY HALL": Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: Prior to yesterday how was security down there?

GOLDIN: Security prior to yesterday was fairly tight in the sense of anyone entering City Hall, unless they're an elected official, in theory, was supposed to pass through a metal detector. In practice in the last few months that had been be come somewhat looser. Members of the media who were familiar to the police officers who guard those metal detectors often could walk around them.

HEMMER: So if you came to work on a morning, any day, Monday through Friday and they recognized you and see you covering City Hall like you have for three-plus years, do you get a free pass?

GOLDIN: Often. Often there is a free pass. And there was a free pass as well for many of the staffers who worked in City Hall as well.

HEMMER: Why is it then over the past few months did this apparent security fell into a lapsed state?

GOLDIN: I don't know if it's fair to say it fell into a lapsed state as much as it's just sort of I think what happens in any work place. You know, after September 11 there was stepped up security there and there was a policy to have everyone go through the metal detectors including the city council members.

Then just over a year ago, there was a negotiated agreement between the City Council staff and the police department that said, these 51 City Council members, they work here, they come here every day. Let's let them go around metal detectors.

HEMMER: You touched something (UNINTELLIGIBLE) your answer. I believe it's quite possible that in places all across the country, they probably had a similar situation set up where if you were recognizable and familiar you were able to go through.

GOLDIN: I think we see that all of the time in the workplaces just with showing I.D. You come back with you lunch, your hands are full and the security guard recognizes you and kind of wings you through.

HEMMER: So you hope that yesterday, although tragic, that cost the lives of two men in New York City, this may ring true with everyone across the country to make sure that their security is buttoned down?

GOLDIN: Well interestingly enough at the U.S. Capitol Washington the same policy applies. Elected officials do not need to go through the magnetometers. And in fact often if there's a guest walking through with them will be waved by the Capitol Police around metal detector. Exactly what happened here in New York yesterday. The elected official following procedure was allowed to walk around and he brought his guest tragically around with him.

HEMMER: Isn't that the strange irony in all of this?

What did you know about Askew until yesterday?

GOLDIN: Not a thing. Not a darn thing. Never heard of him. In fact, he was originally as of a few weeks ago, a few months ago running against James Davis who he shot and killed. But when Councilman Davis a month ago was asked about his opponent Askew he said, I never heard of him or her. He didn't know if it was a guy or a woman.

HEMMER: So here's the mystery. Why go inside City Hall chambers? If he has a gun, he's being escorted by the man we're looking at right, you could have done this somewhere else. The ultimate question is why there, why yesterday and what resulted from this relationship?

GOLDIN: That's certainly the question that the New York Police Department will be investigating. One speculation has been that Askew clearly had political aspirations. Having political aspirations in New York has become much easier now that term limits are in place. Councilmen and elected official can't serve more than eight years which means that a lot of people who would have never had a shot at politics including former police officer James Davis himself now have a shot at becoming elected officials.

HEMMER: Davison Goldin, I hope you day's more quite today than yesterday. Thanks for talking with us.

GOLDIN: Thanks.

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