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Gentleman of the graduating class I.X. down to you my personal congratulations and the congratulations of all of the men and women in the police department upon your graduation we welcome you to a great heiress we know that you will be fine policeman and you we know that you will render to the people of the city of New York the service which they need which they want I have a telegram which was received addressed to the commanding officer of the fleet academy Please extend my congratulations and best wishes to did age graduating class they are certainly New York's finest and I look forward to working with them signed Mera like John V. Lindsay ladies and gentlemen since January one. Thousand nine hundred fifty four seventeen thousand three hundred and seventy nine men and one hundred and ninety ninety three women have become members of the police the blood every one of these persons has attended the police academy and has been you graduated from the police academy and every one of these persons has been appointed during the tenure of Mayor Robert F. Wagner and has served. Since nine hundred fifty four the quota of The New York City Police Department has been increased by over seven thousand men and since nine hundred fifty four we have had constantly. In New York City a continued emphasis on the part of on. Floor toward flying and fine a police. Department has become during the tenure of. Not only the finest police department in the United States but in my judgment on without any question the finest in the world this is the last police department graduation that. Will attend. We in the police department all him much we in the city of New York all him much the movement of this department from its status as a good one. To its status as a great one has been possible. Only because of the continued support and devotion and dedication of. Only because he has constantly supported every effort to improve the police service and every effort to see to it that the people of the city of New York received the finest in police. I think on this occasion than. I shall miss. The graduating class of the police academy. Mr Broderick Reverend members of the clergy. Distinguished. Guests. Top officials of the Department of. Graduating class. Families and friends. Expressed commissioner Broderick my gratitude for those kind words and I feel perhaps like a retiring soldier taking his last review. The last review before retreat. I've officiated. At so many of these graduating exercises that I have lost count. I've made so many speeches at these exercises I could not help but repeat myself but today is different. It could not help but be different. Today Mr Brodrick mentioned is the. Last place graduation at which I will be present as mayor and this occasion certainly has a deep meaning for me. For you who have completed four months of training and today becoming full fledged members of the police force with badge and gun for you to it is a meaningful occasion for your offices and instructors who are here today and for the police veterans who have been long associated with the for us this can only be another graduation another supplement of fresh young eager and expectant rookies who are now ready for the trail of Lauren Faustman but for me this is a climatic occasion and I will always remember the last graduation I have always felt. Especially close relationship with the men in blue the man with the lonely dangerous and difficult duty of maintaining an opposing Laura life and property peace and tranquillity. During the last year or more at each of the graduating graduation exercises whether of the city police or the transit police or the housing police I have used the occasion to speak out about water on crime its progress and sparrows and its challenge indeed I am proud to welcome you who are graduates of the police academy to New York City's crime fighting force in behalf of the eight million people of New York City I welcome you into the active fighting forces of law and order as reinforcements to the blue line which is truly the lifeline of our city. We have made progress in the war on crime. Success has been spectacular and I subways City police have been bearing and continue to bear an important part of the burden in that tremendous effort only a few days ago police commissioner Broderick said that New York City is one of the safest cities in America and it is the fact is that our entire nation is in the grip of surging tides of social unrest which manifest themselves in crime among other ways everywhere in our country the crime rate has been going up but in New York City the crime rate has gone up less than in most other major cities I'm not trying to say that crime is not a critical problem in New York City or that crime is under satisfactory control. All I am trying to say is that we are making headway we are pressing hard against the forces of crime we are making progress against the conditions which breed and encourage crime but whatever we have done is not enough we need to do much more we have greatly increased the size of our police force today the police quota stands at twenty eight thousand two hundred twenty eight compared to less than twenty thousand twelve years ago an increase of forty two percent over the police quoter in effect when I first took office as mayor the improvements in terms of motor is a sion organization tactics training facilities communications and specialized electronics equipment have been spectacular today our police department has vastly more manpower firepower motive power and brain power than ever in its history working conditions are much better to the pay is substantially higher now in the hours I shot in. The work week is less and there are fringe benefits today which policeman did not have twelve years ago. Our educational opportunities not only on the job training but in school training at City University special police college recently formalized. So many changes have taken place that a policeman of a generation ago would have a hard time adjusting himself to the streamlined Police Service of nine hundred sixty by. Police force is far ahead of all other police forces in the nation Police Department is not only New York's finest but it is America's finest and we are proud that we have succeeded in keeping its. Police department of New York City has a high tradition a very great tradition. Who are graduating today earned the right to tradition your own. Tradition. You have also acquired the responsibility of contributing to that tradition or adding to it or if not adding to it at least upholding it I said the training in the training facilities now available are better than they were in fact the most advanced training facilities in the world I believe the police academy is the best in the world and you graduates. To assume sometimes lonely duty will be overwhelmed at first with the vast number of things you will have to learn as you go along you will need to develop an sharpen up most of your skills as you go along even your life may depend on how seriously you apply yourself to this learning training and development process you will also be surprised at how much you will retain what you have learned at the police academy. In March and how to make an arrest but you also learn about the law and about people's rights you learn about first aid and how to look after a man injured in an automobile accident one who has been shot how to deliver a baby how to set a broken bone how to save a drowning man. You learn how to approach a person who is bent on committing suicide you have learned how to calm the hysterical and give courage to the frightened you have learned all of this and much more in your four months you will be surprised at how useful this knowledge will turn out to be in the years ahead what you learned here will not only help you to catch a camp criminal or apprehend a lot violated but also how to save a life including a life that may be your own I hope you will learn to use affectively every lesson you have learned and not going to learn for your own sake for your city sake and for the sake of all New Yorkers who will look to you for protection security information guidance and as the symbol of law of integrity honesty and honor little children and teenagers will watch they will be affected in their lives by the way you act in your eyes and all of us have a growing appreciation of the importance of reducing the tensions that exist in our city and that is part of the job to. You represent not only the police department but the city as a whole and not only the city but the city government as a whole you are government and you. You must remember all of this as you walk your ride in your protests the patrol cars help direct traffic back I do not believe that any class of police graduates has ever seen during training the succession of crises which have confronted this city in the last eight weeks crises in which you served with the greatest distinction. I'm referring to the visit his holiness Pope. And the president of the United States on the same day in October referring to the city election I'm inferring to the night of the great blackout. You have seen history and on those occasions you were part of history and I was deeply pleased with your performance and the performance of the people it was moving and these past weeks have been unforgettable for me too just as this occasion is unforgettable and now I wish you the best of good luck my concluding words may God bless you as you join your fellow officers on the patrol that never end the patrol and public safety and decency and may he accompany you and watch over you in future rounds and thanking the him. Thank you Mr Man We shall now present the pros the trophies awarded outstanding members of the recruit. The main. Awarded to the student to perform the outstanding act of police duty in the field during the training period probationary patrolman Thomas J. Casey she'll number one one one zero eight at about nine thirty A.M. September first one nine hundred sixty five at the corner of fifty seventh Street and Seventh Heaven in Hatton probationary patrolman Thomas J. Casey off duty and on sick reports in route to the office of his District Surgeon observed a pedestrian acting in a furtive manage discreet and close observations revealed symptoms associated with the use of narcotics and a marijuana type cigarette held in his hand in a concealing manner as he officer approach the suspect threw the cigarette into a cellar entrance the officer retrieved the cigarettes identified himself and upon further questioning placed the offender under arrest a scuffle ensued and after some difficulty the prisoner was subdued and handcuffed a search of the prison reveal the possession of four bags of loose marijuana on his person the defendant is presently awaiting trial upon grand jury indictment on a felony charge possession of marijuana records also disclosed the defendant was previously arrested for assault last night and burglary. The Bloomingdale was. Awarded to the student to tame the Highers general average probationary patrolman James lynched Union she'll number one three six four one average nine point six seven. The police commissioner stroll from. Water to the student will tackle a chain the second highest general average of Asian area patrolmen John J. Connally she'll number one one three six one average nine two point four eight. The chief inspectors trophy. Awarded to the student to attain the third highest general average probationary patrolman Joseph Jason I know she'll number one five seven two three average nine zero point four seven. The Frank J. Keeler trophy awarded to the probationary patrolman to attain the highest academic average probationary patrolman Michael woman she'll number one seven one nine nine average nine four point four zero. Carry Hershfield trophy awarded to the student would change the highest general average in physical education probationary patrolman William ob bench she'll number one zero four two six average nine four point one zero. Mais back trophy awarded to the student to attain the highest degree of proficiency with the service revolver during a period of training probationary patrolman Robert de toits she'll number one five two one seven score two eighty nine. That concludes the watch. I now present. To the audience and to the graduating class to class valedictorian probationary patrolman Michael Ruhlman Shiel number one seven one nine nine. Mr Mayor. Police Commissioner Broderick Chief Inspector Shanley. Reverend clergy. Distinguished guests ladies and gentleman members of the graduating class the honor has been bestowed upon me to represent our graduating class we all acknowledge that the police officer should be recognized as a professional one of the requirements of a profession is a code of ethics and indeed we too have won the policeman's code of ethics which I now have the honor of presenting as a law enforcement officer. My fundamental duty is to serve mankind to safeguard lives and property. To protect the innocent against the section of the weak against oppression or intimidation and the peaceful against violence or disorder. And to respect the constitutional rights of all men to liberty equality and justice I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all. Maintain courageous calm in the face of danger spawn or ridicule develop self restraint and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in their performance of my duty I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings prejudices animosities or friendships to influence my decisions with no compromise for crime and with free Lentulus prosecution of criminals I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor malice or ill will never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith and I accept it as a truck as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of police service I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals dedicating myself before God. To my chosen profession Laura enforcement Thank you. That concludes the graduation.