|
The flag of the largest police force in the U.S.A. |
|
|
July 2002..The beginning.
|
Yes, that is when everything started. Wim Pietersen and Peter Schuiten, two security officers, Wim, that’s me, working for Group 4 Falck and Peter for The Dutch National Reserve Bank, received a letter with an invitation to visit the New York Police Department. What must be said is that Peter laid down the first contact with the N.Y.P.D. After a number of E-Mails and phone calls explaining what our intentions and wishes were everything was set for the trip. |
|
|
|
I am also an associated member of the
International Police Association. The reason being is that my
wife has been on the force for 34 years now and a member of the
I.P.A. for 29 years. Contact was made with the I.P.A. member who looks after the gifts department and a large number of items were ordered. Contact was also made, via E-Mail, with David Morales, President of the I.P.A. of the New York Region. |
|
Peter mailed with various Regional Police Departments, in Holland, asking them if they would donate plaques or other items relating/belonging to the region to be given away during our stay in the States. At the end of this report you will find a list with the names of the regional departments who donated items, bought or otherwise donated. I used my connections within various regions to get hold of some items to be given away. Again a number of Regional Departments donated items willingly. Before they did however, the question that everyone asked was “How did you get an invite from the N.Y.P.D.?” The answer that was given.. “Send an E-Mail and wait.”
|
|
|
Peter behind the computer mailing like crazy. |
|
I went to a company that makes wooden shoe’s and ordered a number of these but hand painted with the police striping colours of Dutch Police Cars. These are to be given to Commissioner R.W. Kelly of the N.Y.P.D.
|
|
|
The wooden shoes. |
Wim (that's me) in the plane. |
|
Arrival at Schiphol Airport, Holland’s national airport. Was very early..06.00 hours. De trip is about to begin. Time to check in en go. I had a good laugh at customs, Peter was the only one searched. He had forgotten to take the metal plate out of his head. |
|
|
|
22 kilo's worth of gifts to give away. |
Peter and his wife. |
|
|
|
It was a long sit in the plane to the U.S. 7 hours. Arrived at J.F.K. international at 12.20 local time. We were one of the last to leave the plane we walked towards Customs and Immigration. |
|
|
Sanne, Peter's wife. |
The boys on there way. |
Robin, Peters son. |
|
Just before we got to the designated place we noticed three people standing there holding up a board with the name “Schuiten” on it. Two of them were Ann Cregan and Hector Lorenzo our liaison officers assigned to us as stated in the letter we received in July. The third person was a Lieutenant from the U.S. Customs. He saw to it that we got through Immigration and Customs without waiting. This had been arranged by Ann and Hector. After having gotten our suitcases we walked towards the exit. To our surprise a van belonging to the N.Y.P.D. was parked outside. I had phoned Ann a few days before we left and agreed was that we would phone our liaison officer upon arrival in our hotel. Using the light bar on the roof of the van en reversing into traffic Hector manoeuvred the van across the road so that we could load up our suitcases and ourselves. |
|
|
Our transportation from J.F.K. |
|
We left the airport and thought that we were going to our hotel. Wrong. We were given a guided tour of a small part of New York. We drove passed the World Fair site. The site served as backdrop for a number of movies. Two that come to mind are Golden Eye and Men in Black. We drove passed Yankee Stadium, home to the New York Mets (baseball) and La Guardia National Airport. We were also treated to a drive through at the F.D.N.Y. training academy. Peter had to make a picture of the sign at the gate due to the fact that he is also a volunteer fire fighter. |
| We crossed over a bridge and entered Harlem - Manhattan. We drove past some very old and very expensive monumental buildings. The building where ex president Bill Clinton’s office is situated was also pointed out. We were soon driving through Central Park. This was quite a treat because the park is closed to all traffic from 10.00 to16.00 and 20.00 to 06.00 hours. The times in between it is open to compensate for the rush hour. Leaving the park on the west side we drove to a monument that was built for the fallen soldiers and sailors during one of the wars. The monument is situated on the banks of the Hudson River. |
|
|
After having taken pictures we left there and we driven to the Beacon Hotel on the corner of Broadway and 75th street. This was to be our home base during our stay.After unloading our baggage a time was set for the next day. We checked in and were given a suite on the 12th floor (this we had not booked - expense wise) and settled in. We were in bed by 19.00. Because of the time difference we had been on our feet for nearly 24 hours. |
|
The "Beacon Hotel". Our home base for the next couple of day's. |
Day 2. 2/10/02.
We were all up very early, 04.30 local time. COFFIE!!! After a long hot shower and getting dressed we had breakfast. Peter started typing up the events of the previous day on my lap top. We had no idea what the day would bring. At 10.15 Ann and Hector picked us up at the hotel.
|
|
|
At 10.20 we left for the “Central Bureau of the Mounted Unit”. Once inside we were met by Officer Linda Parente. Linda gave us the guided tour. All of the horses undergo a training period of one to two years. The Mounted Unit in New York consists of 120 officers. At the time of our visit there where 80 officers serving with the unit. That means that there are 40 vacancies. Officers wanting to joint must have served for 3 years before they can apply. The horses within the unit are not bought. |
| They are donated to the unit. People that are able to donate a horse are usually well know and well off. One name mentioned was that of the Rockefeller family. Others are movie stars and residents of Manhattan (the majority are rich). If and when the horses pass the training period they serve for a period of twenty years. After their retirement the horses go back to the person that donated him/her. The horses are not sold or destroyed. They are no longer ridden but used as buddy. After having given Linda a number of gifts and receiving patches belonging to the Mounted Unit we left. |
|
|
|
Officer Linda Parente with Ann and Hector. |
A wall painting outside the N.Y.M.U. |
|
|
Our next stop was an old army base in Brooklyn. On the base there is a large hanger which was used by the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has long gone but the “New York Aviation Unit” has moved in. When we arrived we were met by Detective Pilot Dave Tyler. Dave gave us the guided tour. The Air Support Unit has six helicopters in use. 2 Air Sea Support Bell 412 Ep’s, 3 Bell 206 R3 Jet Rangers and 1 Bell 206 L Long Ranger. |
|
|
Pilot Dave Tyler and myself. |
The cockpit of the Air Sea Support Bell 412 EP. |
| The unit does rescue work for the New York City sea and river areas (has taken over the duties of the Coast Guard) and parts of New Jersey. If one wants to joint the unit as a pilot, one has to be a police officer or a member of the Defence Forces. You also have to have a P.P.L. Fixed Wing licence. All of the personnel working within the unit are police officers and that includes the technical people. To join the unit one has to have a lot of luck and a lot more patience. At the end of our tour the ties used by the Dutch Aviation Unit (wing is embroided on the tie) and plaques belonging the I.P.A. Dutch Section where given as gifts. |
|
|
|
Big boys (and little one's) |
Could'nt help it. Just had to get behind the controles. |
The army base has a multifunction purpose. The Patrol Car Unit and Bicycle Unit practises here. The Hasmat Unit also uses the base.
|
|
|
After the visit we were once again on our way to downtown Manhattan. Ground Zero was our next stop. I don’t think that I have to say anything about Ground Zero. What we discussed among ourselves is that is gives one a feeling of sadness and shame. What I mean is that it give’s you an empty feeling inside. What drives people to such madness. Unreal. Rebuilding is going on 24 hours a day. |
|
What really impressed us was the little church situated at the side of where the towers were. The church was the only building in the surrounding area that was not damaged during the fall (act of god??). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We also visited the “The New York City Police Memorial”. This black marmer wall has the names off all the police officer’s who died in the line of duty. If I can remember rightly it starts in 1908 (correct me if I’m wrong). The names of the N.Y.P.D. Officers who lost their life on 9/11 were engraved in September. |
| The bodies of some of these officers have never been found. Hector told us that the reproduced badges and the flag, (that was “borrowed” off of one of the boats in the marina next to the Police Memorial, that was hoisted up on the pole, that was once on the top of one of the towers), first went up into space with a shuttle before they were given to the families. |
|
|
|
After Little China we were taken to the Police Museum. The museum is situated in the building that was the first precinct in New York. This four story building, in downtown Manhattan, is swamped compared to the skyscrapers that surround it. Upon arrival we were once again greeted by the Officers that work and run the museum. De guided tour took us to a room where the atrocities of 9/11 were laid out. The cold shivers kept running up and down my spine. It’s as if you are standing in the middle of what happened on that day. The photo’s say enough. After having signed the register we walked into the next room. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At 16.00 hours Luis Giegel visited us at the hotel. Luis is an officer with the N.Y.P.D. and also the “International Police Associations” 2d Vice President. He also meets with numerous international I.P.A. members. After having spoken for a while Luis gave us the guided tour at the precinct where he works. |
|
This poster hangs on the walls of nearly all of the Police Precincts. |
|
|
Situated next to the precinct is a Fire Station and Peter, being a volunteer fire fighter, had to visit this. He received a tour and traded a number of items (t-shirts and patches) belonging to the Dutch Fire Stations for those of the New York Stations. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
During Peters tour David Morales, President of I.P.A. New York Region, joined us. David and Luis treated us to dinner and took us to a Porto Rican Restaurant. The food was hot and spicy. We started off with soup and then chicken with green garlic and chilli beans in red sauce with white rice. Ice was served as dessert. At 21.00 we went back to the police precinct (in the rain) and after exchanging gifts we said our goodbyes. |
|
|
Peter with Dave Morales. I.P.A. President. |
Didn´t want to be left out. |
|
|
Peter, Luis, David and myself.
|
|
|
|
|
We flagged down a taxi and made our way to the offices of The Wackenhut Corporation. This security company was taken over at the beginning of this year, by Group 4 Falck. While still in Holland I had contacted Aurea Zeiders, the New York Area Manager via E-Mail. We discussed the various working methods in the States and Holland. The question about being armed also arose due to the fact that security officers in Holland are not. It’s against the law. The only exception being The Dutch Federal Reserve Bank officers, Peters employer. Once again gifts were exchange, this time related to security. |
|
|
|
Next stop The Empire State Building. Once again security everywhere. Metal detectors and x-ray machines. All the way to the top. 86 stories. A fantastic view. Pity about the rain. "Can’t have it all" as they say. Bought some souvenirs and after that went back to the hotel.
|
|
|
The family. |
Trying to make Peter jellous. Didn´t work. |
|
|
Looking down 86 stories.
The Dutch Federal Reserve Bank.
Group 4 Falck.
I.P.A. Dutch Section.
Police Region Amsterdam – Amstelland.
Police Region Drenthe.
Police Region Flevoland.