Shea presides over his fi rst NYPD promotions
Santa Shea came to town with a bag full of
promotions for top cops at Police Plaza today
and Chief Rodney Harrison, saluting the commissioner,
received his promotion to Chief of
Detectives.
BY TODD MAISEL
Even though Santa
Claus made an appearance
at NYPD
promotion Thursday
morning at One Police
Plaza, the real Kris Kringle
was Commissioner
Dermot Shea, as he gave
out nine top promotions
and 30 high ranking job
boosts.
In addition, he gave
out 25 civilian job promotions
for their work
with the NYPD.
Among those promoted
include 28-year
veteran Chief Rodney
Harrison, who succeeded
Shea as Chief
of Detectives. Vincent
Grippo earned the
highest ranking civilian
job of Chief of
Staff.
Also promoted was
Fausto Richardo, who
moved to the rank of
Chief of Patrol; Former
Transportation
Chief Thomas Chan,
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
who moved to Chief
of Management Analysis
and Planning; and
Chief William Morris,
who’s now Chief of
Transportation.
Others getting
3-star jobs were Chief
Raymond Spinella who
received Chief of Support
Services; Chief of
Crime Control strategies
Michael LiPetri
and Chief of Personnel
Martin Morales.
Shea recently took
the reigns from former
Commissioner James
O’Neill, who retired
and took at job at Visa.
The new top cop said
he wanted to make
sure he had the right
team in place moving
forward.
“A few weeks ago, I
was sworn in, so this is
my first uniform promo
ceremony, so getting
the right people int0
the right positions was
important so everyone
— especially the
first row, you are the
team. This is your time
– seize the opportunity.
Be the change that
needs to be made. The
entire NYPD is counting
on you,” Commissioner
Shea said.
He gave special recognition
to Chief Brian
McGee for his work
in the Central Robbery
Division in helping
keeping robberies
low, despite a “small
spike.”
“There’s a little spike
in robberies right now,
small, but any spike
in robberies is disconcerting,”
Shea said.
Harrison became the
first black man to serve
as NYPD Chief of Detectives.
He was born
and raised in South Jamaica,
Queens, not far
from where 14-year-old
Aamir Griffin was shot
and killed while playing
basketball at the
Baisley Park Houses in
October. The case still
has his personal attention
as they continue to
seek Griffin’s killers.
“This organization
is poised for a successful
2020 and beyond,”
Shea concluded. “You
are in those seats today
because you’ve made
the NYPD a better
place.”
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