Rep. King Demands “Uninformed” Members of Congress Stop Smearing the NYPD

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Dec 15, 2011 Issues: -, Counterterrorism

King and Turner Counter “Embarrassingly Uninformed and Shamefully Misleading” Letter by Three House Members

Washington, D.C. – Today, ­U.S. Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Bob Turner (R-NY), a Member of the Committee, sent a letter to all House Members in response to a recent letter from three other Members attacking the NYPD.  

In the letter, King and Turner called the other Members’ attack on the NYPD “embarrassingly uninformed and shamefully misleading.”  King and Turner wrote that “the NYPD is the leading police department in the country with the largest and most effective counterterrorism force, dedicating 1000 officers to protecting New York from terrorist attacks.  To date, under Commissioner Ray Kelly’s leadership, at least 14 attacks by Islamic terrorists have been prevented by the NYPD…in full compliance with federal law and despite the NYPD being underfunded by the federal government.”

King and Turner urged Members to read a recent article by former Attorney General Michael Mukasey in which Mukasey “eviscerates the misguided criticism against the NYPD.”

The signed “Dear Colleague” letter is available HERE.

The text of the letter follows:

IT’S TIME TO STOP THE SMEARS OF THE NYPD

Dear Colleague:

            A recent “Dear Colleague” from three Members of Congress attacking the NYPD was embarrassingly uninformed and shamefully misleading.

            The reality is that the NYPD is the leading police department in the country with the largest and most effective counterterrorism force, dedicating 1000 officers to protecting New York from terrorist attacks.  To date, under Commissioner Ray Kelly’s leadership, at least 14 attacks by Islamic terrorists have been prevented by the NYPD. All this has been accomplished in full compliance with federal law and despite the NYPD being underfunded by the federal government.

            To clear away the cloud of ignorance, political correctness, misinformation and false allegations against the NYPD, we urge you to read the enclosed article, “NYPD True”, by former Attorney General Michael Mukasey which eviscerates the misguided criticism against the NYPD and gives Ray Kelly and his officers the credit they so richly deserve.  As FBI Director Robert Mueller testified just yesterday: “Ray Kelly has done an unbelievable job in terms of protecting New York City from terrorist attacks.”  All fair-minded Members of Congress should agree.

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