Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Good morning. It is a privilege to be at Brooklyn College with so many partners in City government committed to keeping New Yorkers safe. I've waited a long time to say this and for it to actually make sense: There is a new sheriff in town. Sheriff Raymond is a man who has dedicated himself not only to protecting the safety of the people of New York City but [also] to bettering the institutions tasked with that work.
He grew up in East Flatbush as the son of Haitian immigrants. There, he experienced firsthand the way that safety and justice are often made to feel at odds. Yet he chose to become an NYPD officer himself to build bridges between the NYPD and the people they serve and to help write a new legacy. I am struck by a story he told in his book, "An Inconvenient Cop," about his first swearing-in as an officer in the NYPD nearly 20 years ago. He described how his friend's father, Mr. Faustin, a fellow Caribbean man, dropped him off at Queens College for the day's ceremonies and said, "You know, Edwin, you are every immigrant father's dream...This is our dream." I wonder if Mr. Faustin could have predicted then just how far Sheriff Raymond would carry that dream.
Through his long career, he has not only emerged as a public servant of incredible integrity, but [also] a rare leader of exceptional courage. As an officer, he did the very thing he set out to do: build that bridge. He made the decision to continue to live in East Flatbush, where he grew up just down the road from the grocery store he worked in as a teenager. He wanted the young people in the neighborhood to see him not just as an example of what they could become but also as an example of what trust could look like.
And his commitment to trust was there on the block and in the precinct. He rose through the ranks - from sergeant to lieutenant to platoon commander to commanding officer of Community Affairs for Patrol Borough Brooklyn North. Throughout his career in the NYPD, he kept a central question in mind: "How do we find the balance between providing public safety and maintaining people's basic rights?" He took that guiding question with him when he retired from the force and served as our nation's first social justice liaison under State Attorney General [Letitia] James. Today, I can think of no one better to serve as the sheriff of the City of New York. I am proud to say that Sheriff Raymond will be the first Haitian New Yorker to lead a major law enforcement office here in our city.
I know this proud moment comes at the same time that the Supreme Court has allowed the federal administration to end TPS for Haitians. To any Haitian New Yorkers feeling afraid right now, I want you to know that City Hall stands with you. We will continue to urge Congress for a permanent resolution. No one should have to live with this kind of uncertainty.
Sheriff Raymond, I know, is someone who is as proud of his Haitian heritage as he is of his public service. As we look to the future, his appointment marks a new chapter for this essential office - one rooted in concern for both justice and safety in equal measure. Those values will define how the office fulfills its core responsibility: overseeing the enforcement of civil law. That includes everything from executing orders of protection for domestic violence survivors to investigating cases of deed theft under our newly created Office of Deed Theft Prevention.
I am confident he will bring the same dedication he has always shown to the people of New York City as he works to build a public safety system grounded in accountability and trust. Congratulations, Sheriff Raymond. I look forward to continuing to partner together. Thank you.
