C.I.A. IN RECRUITING NEW YORK POLICE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000200880013-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: October 27, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP91-00587R000200880013-2
AAIR,Lcnrr R' NEW YORK TIMES L
ON PAGE 27 October 1986
C.I.A. IS RECRUITING
NEW YORK POLICE
Overseas Duty Is Offered -
Ward Pledges Cooperation
STAT
By SELWYN RAAB
Responding to requests from the Central Intelligence Agency, the New York City Police Department is mak members of the city's force avail- STATbie as temporary agents for counter-terrorism operations abroad. A C.I.A. spokesman, Cathy Pherson, said last week that New York's depart- was among 18 major municipalpolice agencies in the country that had been asked recently for assistance in
enlisting experienced investigators for
Lhe temporary assignments.
"It is a very specific program," shesaid. "Sometimes the police have thesorts of investigative skills and train- ing you can quickly put to use." She declined to say where the offi-
cers would be sent or why the agency, which is responsible for American anti- terrorism efforts, was seeking assist-
ance. But the recruiting effort comes at a time of rising concern about terror- ism abroad. New York's Police Commissioner,, enjamin Ward, said in an interview STAT,at the Director of Central Intelli- gence, William J. Casey, urged him and top officials from the other police de- at a meeting in July to helpthe recruitment project. "Bill Casey informed us that the C I A. was interested in hiring retired
or presently employed police officers
who had backgrounds in handling un-
dercover operators or who had been
undercover operators themselves,"
Mr. Ward said. "We did not have ter-
rorism before and we have to respond.
It's laudatory that we can do some-
thing in the interests of national de-
fense."
A spokesman for the city police, In
spector Robert F. Burke, said that as a
result of an internal survey of possible
applicants for the C.I.A., 210 detectives
and investigators
in special units ex-
pressed interest in joining the Federal
agency. Inspector Burke said 68 took
an eight-hour examination given by the
C.I.A. on Oct. 4, the first screening steel
in hiring.
.
The C.I.A. spokesman said she be-
lieved that this was the first attempt by
the
agency to employ large numbers of
trained police
officers for intelligence
work. . At has least one reportedly department, Los An-
ate in the recruitment of its refused to personnel.
in .
The recruitment assistance ordered
by Commissioner Ward is an apparent
break with a long-standing policy in the
department, according to police
offi-
cials who asked for anonymity. Previ-
ously, the" department discouraged
other
law enforcement agencies from
large-scale recruiting
because it might
result in
the loss of experienced detec-
tives
or officers who were trained at
city expense, the officials said.
However,
been granted occasionally for tempo-
rary employment
with other city or
state agencies.
'Nobody Asked Before'
Denying a change in
Mr.
had, we would have done it."
"I expect we will lose very few peo-
ple," ," Mr. Ward added. "It is an over-
seas assignment under very dangerous
conditions. But if anyone is interested, f
won't hold him back."
Ms. Pherson said the C.I.A. officials'
solicited the officials of 18 police de-
partments at an unpublicized intelli-
gence seminar on terrorism held by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation and
the C.I.A. July 21 at C.I.A. headquarters
in McLean, Va.
The response from the police depart-
ments for cooperation was "good," Ms.
Pherson said. But she declined to say
how many cities besides New York
agreed to assist in the' recruitment
drive or how many police investigators
the C.I.A. wanted to employ.
She also refused to identify the police
forces represented at the seminar.
Police officials in Los Angeles said
the city's Chief of Police, Daryl F.
Gates, rejected the C.I.A. request. Mr.
Gates would not comment directly on
the C.I.A. proposal but through a
spokesman, Commander William D.
Booth, Chief Gates said, "We need all
the police talent we have right here."
In Philadelphia, Police Commis-
sioner Kevin M. Tucker said through a
spokesman that he had attended the
antiterrorism seminar. The spokes-
man, Capt.Richard DeLise, said Mr.
Tucker declined to comment on
whether he would permit the C.I.A. to
recruit in the Philadelphia Police De-
partment.
New York City police officials said
other departments represented at the
July seminar included Houston, Chi-
cago, Boston and San Francisco.
Spokesmen for those departments de-
clined to comment.
Inspector Burke said 3,520 detectives
and investigators in the city's Detec-
tive Bureau, the Organized Crime Con-
trol Bureau and the Inspectional Serv-
ices Bureau were notified about the
C.I.A. search for recruits. The total
number of city detectives and officers
is now 27,231.
About 210 detectives and investiga-
tors met with C.I.A. personnel officials
on Sept. 26? at the Jacob K. Javits Fed-
eral Office Building at 26 Federal
Plaza in lower Manhattan, Inspector
Burke said. "They were told that the
jobs were contracts for three years and
that they would probably not be re-
tained as permanent C.I.A. employ-
ees," Inspector Burke noted.
He said it was uncertain how many of
the 210 submitted applications beyond
the 68 who were tested by the C.I.A.
earlier this month.
The highest salary for a detective in
the city is about $40,bOO a year. Ms.
Pherson said the salaries of new agents
would depend on their experience and
backgrounds.
In the last decade, detectives and in-
vestigators from the city's police de-
partment have worked jointly with the
F.B.I. on local task forces set up to in-
vestigate terrorist groups and organ-
ized crime, and with the Drug Enforce-
ment Administration on narcotics en-
forcement.
Police personnel who accept C.I.A.
positions would have to retire, resign,
or seek leaves of absence, Inspector
Burke said.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP91-00587R000200880013-2