They buried John Timoney out of St. Patrick’s Cathedral the other day, a fitting departure portal for an Irishman who came to New York from Dublin at 12 and stayed to help transform policing not only in the city, but also across America. “Timoney was one of a kind,” eulogized outgoing NYPD commissioner William Bratton, “and he was also one of the last of that kind.” And who would know better than Bratton, who also is one of that kind? When he steps down on September 1, few such will remain—and an era, indeed, will have come to an end.
Bratton and Timoney were part of a fractious crew. In truth, the group got along like cats with their tails tied together. But they were united in their conviction that big cities could indeed be policed. This was not at all certain 25 years ago.
Read Full Article »