Former NYPD commissioner to speak at VMI

Former New York Police Department commissioner and leading national security expert Raymond W. Kelly will speak at Virginia Military Institute Monday, Nov. 2.

Kelly’s talk will begin at 11:15 a.m. in Gillis Theater in Marshall Hall.

His presentation, which is open to the public free of charge, will be moderated by Col. Dave Gray, director of VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics.

In his remarks, Kelly will discuss his recently published memoir, Vigilance: My Life Serving America and Protecting its Empire City. Kelly will hold a book signing before his talk, from 9:45 a.m. to 11 a.m., in Marshall Hall.

Kelly’s 50-year career in public service has included time spent not only with the New York Police Department, but also the U.S. Marines, U.S. Customs, Interpol, and U.S. Treasury.

He was appointed police commissioner in 2002 by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, eventually becoming the longest serving police commissioner in the city’s history, as well as the first to hold the post for a second, separate tenure. He also served as police commissioner under Mayor David N. Dinkins from 1992-1994.

In 2002, Kelly created the first U.S. municipal police department counterterrorism bureau. He also established a global intelligence program and stationed New York City detectives in 11 foreign cities. Under Kelly’s leadership, the NYPD lowered violent crime by 40 percent from 2001 levels.

Also as commissioner, Kelly established the Real Time Crime Center, a facility that uses data mining to search millions of computer records, producing investigative leads for detectives in the field.

Kelly is currently a distinguished visiting fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an ABC News consultant.

Kelly’s appearance at VMI is part of the H.B. Johnson Jr. ’26 Distinguished Speaker Series.