N.Y. Police Commissioner Has a Tough Act to Follow, and It’s His Own

NYC Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly built the Police Department’s counterterrorism program from scratch. He drove crime down further, against predictions and beyond national averages. He has improved relations with the city’s black and Latino populations. And, a decade after his first, abbreviated term as New York City police commissioner, he did it all with a shrinking number of officers.

Now, as Mr. Kelly makes good on his pledge to stay on for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s second term as the man widely seen as the second most powerful person in city government, people close to him say he will not be satisfied at having gone from underestimated to vindicated. He is, they say, intent on cementing his successes – in fighting terror and in working to bring the department’s technology into the 21st century, among others.

Some, including admirers, question his decision to stay, noting that his carefully restored reputation, which came under harsh criticism during the administration of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, could suffer if crime goes up or terrorists attack. Others suggest he might have his eyes on a bigger prize – City Hall. Mr. Kelly, for his part, insists he has no political ambitions, and no great fear of setbacks to his reputation.