THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH
queenschamber.org
COVER STORY
BY THE NUMBERS: REDUCING CRIME & ARRESTS BY SHANE MILLER
est - police departments in the United States. “I never even saw myself as a precinct commander, but you build a reputation on this job and you keep working,” Shea said, reflect-
Perhaps it was this solid upbring- trouble, and then we release them ing that inspired Shea’s devotion to their parents,” he said. “I would Dermot Shea graduated from to keeping kids out of the criminal like to slow that process down a SUNY Oneonta on a Saturday in justice system, a priority for him minute or two. I think there’s an May of 1990 with a Bachelor of in his new role. That encompasses opportunity there.” Science in Business Economics in a number of different initiatives, Shea said the ultimate goal is to hand, but by Monfrom pro- keep kids from entering the crimiday morning he was viding safe nal justice system in the first place, working for 32BJ. places for and if they do end up there, making His boss allowed kids to go, sure they have the necessary supto leave his post o r g a n i z i n g port to ensure they never return. from time to time to movie nights “I don’t think kids that are interview for posiin local parks running around shooting people tions in the world of during the should receive a slap on the wrist, finance, but things summer, or but the whole point of this youth weren’t going as e n g a g i n g strategy is to make sure they never planned. the 5,500 enter that funnel,” he said. “Once “It wasn’t the school safety they get on that trajectory and once best time to be agents who they start getting arrested, I’m not looking for a job,” are interact- saying they can’t be saved, but it Shea recalled. “I ing with kids makes it that much harder. had taken the police on a near“But with 29 years of experitest my junior year, daily basis. It ence and intimate knowledge of the but didn’t take also involves criminal justice system, putting a it with the intenusing data to kid in jail and expecting them to be The commissioner with his family after one of his promotions. tion of coming on make sure any better 18 months or two years the job. I figured I that existing later, I think we are setting ourwould finish school services and selves up for disaster,” Shea adds. and find a different job, but I think ing on his nearly 30-year career in programs align with areas of high fate pushed me down a different the NYPD. “Sometimes the jobs crime. n December of 2011, Shea path.” find you.” “Think back when you were that was working in the Detectives So Shea entered the Police Acadcritical age, were you on the edge Bureau when he first got the emy, and in 1991 he was sent to hea grew up one of five of potentially getting into trou- call to work at One Police Plaza. his first assignment in the Bronx. kids, the son of two Irish ble?” Shea asked. “And did you “In fact, I was very successful It’s a decision he has never once immigrants – his father have a safe place to go, whether about avoiding this building,” he regretted. came from County Laois while his it was a gym or Boys and joked. “When you are work“More and more I found myself mother grew up near the Mayo- Girls Club or PAL? All ing out in the street, you saying ‘I don’t see myself sitting Sligo border - who met in New of these things we do really don’t want to “ behind a desk,’” he told This Is York City. They settled in Sunny- already, can we do have to come down “We realized you here.” Queensborough during a recent side, first in a one-bedroom apart- more of that?” interview in his office at One Police ment on 44th Street near Skillman Shea said the Shea spent had to convince Plaza. “From the moment I got into Avenue. When the family grew to department plans the next two 30,000 cops that the academy, there was never a five kids and a dog, they upgraded to have a youth years working there was a doubt I was going to continue with to a two-bedroom apartment on the coordinator in at CompStat, different way policing. I didn’t know that much other side of Queens Boulevard. every precinct. where he began to police” about it going in, but once I was in, His father joined the Army, part- “That is one of to see the big picI knew I was never leaving.” ly as a path to citizenship, eventu- the absolute prioriture of crime in Shea quickly rose through the ally reaching the rank of sergeant. ties in the next two New York City from ranks. Within three years he was He later worked as a bartender years,” he said. “It’s a lot a perspective he didn’t a sergeant, which due to a change and handyman, while his mother of work, but it’s probably the have when he was working on in department policy is a jump so was a devoted homemaker. All five most worthwhile investment that the street. swift it’s not even allowed today. kids attended Queen of Angels, we can make.” “I learned a hell of a lot about He began to work in the investi- and Shea would eventually graduThe commissioner also sees an data,” he said. “For the next two gative world, holding posts in the ate from Xavier High School in opportunity to provide more ser- years I saw the interdependency Narcotics Division in the Bronx Manhattan. vices when a minor has their first of the policy side and the laws. I and Queens. By 2002, he was a “Growing up was great, it was run-in with law enforcement. knew for years what was broken captain. Today, he is commissioner solid working-class neighbor“We have kids being brought on the street because I was in the of one of the oldest – and the larg- hood,” Shea said of his childhood. into precincts when they get into fight, now I was working behind
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