Howard Safir
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Howard Safir (born 1941 in the Bronx, New York) was New York City Fire Commissioner from 1994 to 1996 and New York City Police Commissioner from 1996 to 2000.
Howard Safir was appointed New York City's 29th Fire Commissioner of the City of New York by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani on January 1, 1994 and served in that position until he was appointed 39th Police Commissioner of the City of New York by Giuliani on April 15, 1996. He served as Police Commissioner until his resignation on August 18, 2000.
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[edit] Early career
After growing up in the Bronx and Long Island, the son of Russian Jewish immigrant parents (his father was a presser in the garment district, his mother a switchboard operator), Howard Safir followed his famed uncle Louis Weiner's (who captured the bandit Willie Sutton) example, and after graduating from college in 1963, decided to become a lawman.
[edit] Government service
Safir began his law enforcement career in 1965 as a special agent assigned to the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, a forerunner of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
He advanced through the ranks of the DEA and in 1977 was appointed Assistant Director of the DEA. He moved to the U.S. Marshals Service in 1979 where he served as Chief of the Witness Security Division.
In 1984, he was named Associate Director for Operations, of the U.S. Marshals Service, a position he held until his retirement from the federal government in 1990.
Safir rejoined government service in 1994 when Mayor Giuliani asked him to serve as the New York City's 29th Fire Commissioner. When Police Commissioner William J. Bratton left his position in 1996, Giuliani appointed Safir to replace him. Safir served four years as Police Commissioner until he announced his resignation and retirement from government service in 2000.
[edit] Education
Safir received his B.A. in History and Political Science from Hofstra University in 1963. He attended Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, receiving certificates in the programs for Senior Managers in Government in 1988 and for National and International Security in 1989.
[edit] Professional Memberships
Safir is a member of the executive committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and has served as a delegate to INTERPOL, the National Drug Policy Board and the El Paso Intelligence Center Advisory Board.
[edit] Awards and honors
Throughout his career, Howard Safir has been recognized frequently for his outstanding service. In 1996, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
He was twice awarded the Presidential Meritorious Executive Award. Additionally, he received the U.S. Marshals Service Meritorious Service Award and the Attorney General's Achievement Award, in addition to many other citations and awards.
In his four years as Police Commissioner, he achieved a 38% reduction in major crime and reduced homicides by 44%, bringing the total number of murders in New York to 667, the lowest level in three decades.
To obtain these results, Commissioner Safir implemented a comprehensive Fugitive Strategy and established thirty-nine major anti-drug initiatives throughout the city including the Northern Manhattan Initiative. He created model blocks in each borough to prevent eradicated drug dealing from returning and he introduced closed circuit television to ensure the safety of housing development residents, park visitors and subway riders.
Concerned for officer and public safety, he expanded firearms training and introduced Firearms Training Simulators. Under his leadership, firearms discharge incidents decreased from 344 in 1995 to 155 in 1999.
He has also been the country's leading voice in calling for the expansion of DNA use in policing. He developed and implemented Operation Condor, a creative use of personnel resources, that continues to be a centerpiece of current NYPD crime reduction strategy.
[edit] Trivia
In 1997, Safir appeared in the ABC TV series NYPD Blue playing himself.
[edit] See also
- New York City
- Rudolph W. Giuliani (former Mayor of New York City)
- William J. Bratton (former Police Commissioner of New York City)
- Bernard Kerik (former Police Commissioner of New York City)
- Thomas Von Essen (former Fire Commissioner of New York City)
- US Government
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- United States Marshals Service
- Hofstra University
- ChoicePoint
| Preceded by William M. Feehan |
FDNY Commissioner 1994-1996 |
Succeeded by Thomas Von Essen |
| Preceded by William J. Bratton |
NYPD Commissioner 1996-2000 |
Succeeded by Bernard Kerik |
