When the Twin Towers fell, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was wrapping up his two terms as mayor of The Big Apple. America’s greatest city came under new management in January 2002 when billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg took over after his electoral victory in November 2001.
The challenges faced by Bloomberg as a newcomer to New York City politics were daunting as New Yorkers were trying to return to normalcy in the wake of the attacks. To accomplish what needed to be done for the safety of all New Yorkers, Bloomberg asked Vietnam War veteran Raymond W. Kelly to join his administration as police commissioner of the city of New York.
Kelly was no stranger to the NYPD, having served the city for decades as an officer and eventually rising to become police commissioner from 1992 to 1994 under Mayor David Dinkins. The challenges faced by his city were too important for Kelly to say no to his mayor, asking him to serve once again.