Tom's Retirement Party which was attended by 645 people.
Attendees came from all over the United States,as far away as California.

by Ray Kelly

Tom Scotto, as much as anyone, has contributed to the legendary reputation of NYPD detectives. Without question, that reputation is second to none.

We call our detectives "the world’s greatest," and that’s no simple boast. They prove it day in and day out. When the T.V. series Law and Order wants to dramatize the best criminal investigations available, they borrow from the real life accomplishments of New York City detectives. In fact, I wouldn't’t be surprised if the next episode "ripped from the headlines" is the lightning quick apprehension of Cesar Ascarunz, who abandoned a four-year-old girl on a Queens street after killing her mother.

Or the courtroom drama that unfolded in Brooklyn last week. There, in two separate trials, jurors convicted John Giuca and Antonio Russo in the murder of a young college student from Connecticut.

If ever a case epitomized the dedication and tenacity of our detectives, this was it. Despite the initial lack of cooperation and stonewalling by perpetrators and potential witnesses, they never yielded and brought two killers to justice.

Cases like these get a lot of attention. But I know that for every one of them, there are dozens more that don’t get publicized, but in which tough, day-to-day investigative work pays off. In every instance, the skill of our detectives is the decisive factor.

That’s something Tom Scotto can take great pride in. For four decades, as both a detective and union leader, Tom contributed to molding the success of the most professional investigative force on earth. As a decorated detective, Tom served in eight commands, including the Narcotics Division, the 122nd Precinct Squad, at the Borough level on Staten Island, and in various specialized squads. He earned more than 30 Department citations along the way.

At the same time, he developed a passion for advancing the professional status of his fellow investigators. In 1975, he was elected as a delegate to the Detectives Endowment Association and soon after that, as Staten Island Trustee. In 1983 he was appointed DEA Vice President and within three years, he was elected to represent all of New York City’s detectives as DEA President.

With over 20 years on the job, at a time when many begin to ponder retirement, Tom was just getting started. He set about to modernize the union, raising its national profile to match the growing stature of its members. He was a tough but respected negotiator, both in Albany and before City Hall.

He improved union benefits for detectives and their families. He supervised the purchase of a new union headquarters in Lower Manhattan, giving the DEA a visible presence and making it the only police union to own its own building. He also presided over an increase in the number of detectives, and union members from roughly 2,600 at the start of his tenure to more than double that today.

Tom proved his longevity too, becoming the longest-running union president we’ve ever had, serving 18 years. As if that wasn't’t job enough, Tom took up the cause at the national level, too.

He served as the five-time president of the National Association of Police Organizations, where he worked to pass legislation beneficial to public safety across the country. That included the 1994 Crime Bill, passed under the administration of President Bill Clinton, which put 100,000 new police officers on America’s streets. Tom also helped secure the first increase in 33 years of federal death benefits to the families of police officers and lobbied successfully to make it retroactive to apply to the families of those we lost on September 11th.

That effort, perhaps more than any other symbolizes Tom’s commitment to the professional and personal care of our members. What a powerful tribute to our fallen heroes and their families. And what a fitting way to sum up the impact of Tom’s career.

Tom raised the professional image of policing, and our detectives, to new heights. He laid an important foundation for his successors to build on. He also raised a wonderful family and contributed to the Department’s recruitment efforts by giving us two fine officers: his son John, a First Grade Detective in the 123rd Precinct and daughter Diana, who is a Sergeant, Supervisor Detective Squad in the Gang Division.

`Ray Kelly is the commissioner of the New York City Police Dept.

Cynthia Brown
Publisher
American Police Beat
43 Thorndike Street
Cambridge, MA 02141
617-491-8878 ext 104
cynthia@apbweb.com