What's up, everybody? Here? We are in our new home down here in TriBeCa New York City. I'm with my partner in law enforcement Bill Cannon. What's up, buddy? What up? We have a phenomenal guest here. Today. We're very honored to have retired. NYPD Captain went on to be head of security at JetBlue. What's up, Loretta King High. Good, how are you? Okay, you look very nice. Thank you. We're happy to have you glad she's up from the North Country. She is in the North Pole. Now. Where do you live up in the Adirondacks? Oh, really? Okay, that must be nice. It is that with the Finger Lakes are south of that but Yep. They're all right. I have heard a lot about the Finger Lakes doing some hunting for your lunch and dinner. No. No, I don't like it up there. Why would you go all the way up there for my husband lives up there? Oh that's important for good reason. She probably left a little bit closer. Yeah, that makes sense. I'm not gonna live on Long Island. You can stay up there. Well, I did that for a while but depends on how long you want to be married when you met stay married forever Let Him Live up here and you can see up there and you can stay down here. You guys are very for everything. I can almost guarantee you that so where did you grow up? Well, I want no part of Long Island. Got a lot of people from Long Island bill, I grew up in the town clock or place up Lisa. That's by isn't it by Garden City? Yeah close. All right. So yeah. About that's a nice neighborhood car place, right? Yeah, pretty nice neighborhood Phyllis. You got brothers and sisters I do okay two sisters and a brother. All righty. And what was what was that like going up over there? Did you like it? Yeah. Yeah, I liked growing up there nice Town small town. Lots of friends. Still sane touch. What would you go to high school or Place High School? That was a tough one. I'll Place High School. Huh? No one else wanted to law enforcement your family. Other than you right now it would you brothers and sisters do my brother's contractor and my two sisters worked in grocery stores. They were union workers. Well, yeah. So how many of you will be like so this three kids three kids for parents trapped in like a 10 bedroom house, right? No, I wish and I grew up in the story. So we rented so because we want to hear from somebody from car place. I know that you know what they did a little better than us Long Island. What why I became a cop then I mean, you know, I'm sure that you did you go to college I did and then I came on the job and see. You got a Bachelor's degree. Well, I got a Bachelor's degree after I was on a job. I went into one of the program. Yes. So did that ihad neck? You must have been classmates that from well, they had so many classes because I met John Kelly was that it was at the Academy, right? Yeah, the Marist master's degree in public administration. Did you have family on the job? No, no family on the so what is it come from that you want to become a cop? Well, I was I mean you're beautiful now, so just imagine going back. You know a couple of years you probably just young hot blond. I was wherewhere did what did you watch? What was that policewoman the TV show and say I want to do that. Yeah. No, actually I was working as a waitress. Okay Roosevelt racetrack. I work there at night. I went to NASA Community College during the day and my dad came home and he worked in family court and he's wanting me to take a civil service job. I test I should say and like I really had no interest in it, but you know I said sure I'll take the test and this is great for I could see you being a court officer more because you're indoors is more contained. It's a little safer. I'm sure your father probably meant he wanted you to do that. Right? We're not he wanted me to take the test for the experience just in case I wanted a civil service job down the road, but I'm saying once you start taking these civil service test if I'm your dad, I'm hoping you go to criminal. I mean, we work in the court system rather than NYPD because the court system. It's more contained those. You're not out in the street Every Day In Harm's Way the weather court system, you know, listen, I'm sure there's stuff happens in court, but nothing like being a cop. Yeah I'm saying. Yeah never really articulated that but you know, just took the first test I came along which was the NYPD. Well, I did what you do. Come on 81. Wow. Yeah. That wasn't well the 82 is the 3000. Yeah 81 about a thousand. I think it was it was somewhat large as well and you were in the South you started out in the open so I started out. In Queens and Issue 13, Queens Marine for a while. Yeah. I know you love those Queens marine and how did you get into Manhattan? You hooked up? Well, I was there for a while in Queens did Patrol with jumping the gun again? Oh boy easy bro. Walk if it doesn't suit what you want to do because we will go for on a road right now. There's things I want to know is this so you so you take the that's the only test that you took the police. Test the NYPD they take Natural disease takes off it I actually did take Nasser at one point when I was already on this job and I didn't take it. I did the collagen they did wow, and I did not and I got to tell you something. I don't regret that. I know you don't regret it. But your bank account does he? Well, you know what life isn't all about your bank account. So I don't regret that at all you listen, if you could do the same job and being less Harm's Way, I Know it because he rose through the ranks, but they still at that time to though. They didn't get paid that much more. I don't even realize I remember because with a big pay discrepancy came when when we got zeros the three zeros from Giuliani that was when they jumped way ahead of us, but the state troopers NASA was Suffolk and NYPD. They were kind of sort of in the same ballpark at the time so I can understand why you might have want and then plus the nypd's are more exciting job. Yeah, definitely more exciting. I had a couple of years on this job. Anyway, and I just Feel it had a lot more opportunities to do things molded for once you get promoted and just to go into all sorts of different details larger department. And all right. So now back to where we were bill was NSU 13 equal. What was it? Yeah. Yeah. We had F to you. So, where was that where they put you in the 113 Precinct? Alright, so that was that was pretty busy back then, right? Yeah Rock and rolling over there to 113. Yeah. Yeah, and we came up with which did you go right to patrol? I went to the 109 Precinct. That was so you do. So you did your energy over there? Yeah, and then he went to the 109 which is Asian Now, isn't it? Annoying? It's all Asians. Yeah, flusha. Yeah. Well, she's like Asia Minor basic. Yeah. No, it's listen. If you if you want to go down to Main Street and have some of the best Chinese food that you've had. That's the place to go, you know other than Chinatown here in New York City and some would argue that some of the restaurants back and flushing. That's our are better than the ones downtown. But that's where I wound up buying a house over there and flush. Would you think of working then? It was a nice place. I haven't been back there in years, but it was a nice place to work. Did you do steady Patrol was like, yeah. Well, it was the vines Nights Watch short back then. Yeah, what'd you think of that? Probably what most people think it was rough. Oh you like 20 years old now 22 Yeah. I was 20 22 23. Oh my God young. Yeah, and he was had the blonde hair. Did your head like fly out the radio call it stop. The boss is trying to snatch you up as a driver right away. I drove some bosses, you know at all. That's funny. I eventually started working, you know with one person in particular. Hmm partner were yeah because you know, the boss is on this job with the see the pretty blond. He's you know, what I'm gonna do. I'll keep you safe drive me. Am I right or wrong? Well, they were a couple You know women who were in the precinct as well. Yeah, so it was a competition whose hair flew out the now they were all but you had to put your hair back, right? Yeah it was and it was back then it was like the hair had to go back pull back now, you'll see hats this High over someone's head. I saw I saw somebody took a picture of a female you can't I couldn't tell the front of it. It could have very easily been a male disguises. Who knows but that the dread locks were down to their this person's a ankle and they were purple and it was a little like a at sitting all the way and up but the hair was so big and not only could be used as a weapon against you but it's just it would have never flown back. Then you could even paying your fingernails back that right? I don't even remember there was a lot of rules. Yeah, that was way way more rules. Your hair was supposed to conform to the general shape of your head, right? That's right. Uh, yeah. Did you enjoy Patrol? Yeah. Some Patrol for probably about a year liked it and then went to occb right away. Well, yeah, I did Undercover work. There was some deal on the car no contacts by going undercover. Yeah. Wow. Wow, tell us about that. What was that like, so I was in Queen psychotics and did Undercover work, you know, we had the teams we go out to buy and bus stop where were you doing this because to throw you in the product but I mean if they're going to throw you in the objects to go buy drugs in the 113 103 to go buy drugs, then you must have downplayed the looks a little bit got a yeah put some grease on your face and third your nails. Yeah a lot down in the rockaways a lot in like show us you're not that is I mean, they're not for the truck when you look yeah. Well, oh we did a lot of things, you know back then lighten the 103 Precinct would you do did a lot on the Lower East Side number saying? Oh, did you have a An act that you did to buy the drugs. Well, for example on the Lower East Side when we would go in there, you know, they had all the shooting galleries. That was like an open-air drug flea markets. Yeah back in the day. Wait a minute you you were in Narcotics and queens. Oh, yeah, but they used to fly us and do these operations. They made town of Queens to go buy drugs in Manhattan to oh, yeah and in a okay, well this way right and it was a constant change and bring bronze people down and whatever days a week they were going Do that. Yeah. So my always drug of choice when you were pretending to be a drug addict. It depended where I was like in in King Park in Queens, you know, we were buying weed on the Lower East Side. We would be buying heroin or cocaine change your mannerisms, depending on the drug. Yeah and how I dressed as well. So for example, I always wear overalls when I was on the Lower East Side because they wanted to see track marks and I would always tell my shut up and my legs and we Go and get makeup and like put it on our veins and they would somebody got the stuff from the hospital. I forget what it was but you put it on it and it kind of makes your skin dry up and crack almost like Wax right so that you could at least show it looks like it had track marks and it worked and everybody did it but I always wore overalls and it worked for me and I typically work with a partner down there when you have by and we did you have a bag of potato chips with your picture you have in the munchies. No not Uh, Sara Lee know that I know that was pretty scary of beer can with them or 40 with them. Yeah put dirt on your face start anything Nails you can you like the overalls you felt comfortable in that? Yeah. Yeah, and I have my hair. Yeah sneakers. Yeah, I was dressed down. I mean I certainly wasn't go no makeup on. Yeah, you have a get forced to go inside. No not forth. But there's many times that we did have to go inside because I've heard it from a lot of undercover. Guys say oh I put a gun to your head you get inside and now I never had that happen Lots on the compass told me that happened. I was like that's got to be the whole paycheck for that year was worth that incident. Yeah. No, but very often especially on the Lower East Side. We had to go inside they would bring in a couple people at a time and close the door and I want to have to buy couple tiny work five days a week that was it five days a week. You went out to two days a week it depended, you know, it depended on the team's it depending where you were working. You know, it depended who was you know, the the team you know who was working that day. Maybe they were in court, you know, there was a lot of things that I mean, do you ever not score get refused? Yeah what happens then nothing just walk away you go back get you a cop. I've had people I had one person definitely. Tell me they thought I was a cop and you know, I was able to kind of talk my way out of it and say no I wasn't, you know, sometimes you were able to buy and they would sell tea anyway, and now the time how long did it take for you to be good at it where you felt like comfortable there because I'm sure you would very nervous in the beginning, right? Yeah, it's always nervous when you go out there. I don't know exactly how long it took till I had to comfort level where I would go out. But yeah, and there was always a field team who was real close by as well, so you Enough to run they were great to marry signing and was familiar to you though. I mean, I'm not saying that you did drugs as youth but you know, obviously you grew up in Long Island and car place and you might have been exposed. Maybe you had neighbors or friends that did drugs that you picked up a little bit of those but was that a completely unfamiliar world to you or did you know, you know a little bit of well, certainly the world of what I saw on the Lower East Side was nothing that I would everyone right? Yeah, nothing. I was exposed to All and what was even more interesting was like or like the Wall Street crowd that was there, you know, especially in the daytime. That's it. So, you know, you will see sure whatever they were buying, you know coming in and suits and everything like that. So what you're saying is that the people that worked on Wall Street were coming in here during the day and buying drugs there were definitely people in suits that were what we want to like the most which was Yeah the night she'll talk about the day. It was not now, right? No. No, it's yeah, it's unbelievable gentrified. Yeah, I just got word gentrified. Yeah, tell us about the shooting galleries. I was think those are interesting. It's an interesting combination of words. Yeah. Yeah that it puts in your head. For those of you who aren't from New York City our audience. It's always nice to Pig paint a little picture for them. So the shooting galleries were inside a building. Yeah. Yeah, so they were all burnt. Out abandoned, you know, no windows most of them you would go inside, you know, you will have to walk up a flight of stairs. Maybe every other step was missing out of it. I remember one time going up with a guy. I work with the two of us. We're going in one in front of the other and I thought that was kind of water dripping, you know feeling drops coming down, you know look up and you know, some guys, you know taking a piss. Yeah, so really considered as funny and it wasn't funny, but it's the truth. Yeah, don't tell me it's raining when you press is saying if I piss on me and tell me it's raining. Yeah, this guy's really we just went up and did what we had to do you expect it to do the drugs in that area. Like no, I never had that that's a dangerous thing to yeah, I'm sure. You need to talk you were headed. Well, I would think they teach you in undercover school is if you have to do it to save your life do it, right. Yeah, I would have done that every day. I do it I didn't want to do it. This guy's the worst narcotics officer everything and then you have to go to the hospital right to get checked. Yeah, but I think from when I went in there and like 1982, I think they've probably come a long way with training and all sorts of other things like that. That's why officer hoping that killed. Yeah, he hesitated. They said do what was that in the to for Precinct in 97 night Chris that bucyk got killed he went up to make a buy and it was him and another guy named Mike your mind and on the cover and they all look I sell them on and they said do the drugs right here and he hesitated nigga a huge gun fight and hope and guy killed. I was horrible. I worked in the to for creasing today. Luckily that didn't happen to you, right, you know forced to use right then no and just for civilian audience on MOS. Once you get the drugs missions complete you go, but you bring it back. What do you go meet up again with your team, right? Yeah, and then you guys do all you guys share the drugs together, right you doing together. Now you bring it back about your them. Do you buy record? Yeah, and they do you start blocking all the time. How do you You identify because you don't know the name of the game. Yeah, how's he identified? We used to identify them by your JD name. Maybe it was you know, Yankee cap or whatever. It was. Wonderful. What are you making the arrest right then make it the next day. No, typically then it would be after the undercover walled off the set. You know, you buy the drugs you come back you re communicate with the team, you know, JD, you know Yankee cap, you know standing on you know this corner, you know, it's very What if you want to make several bodies from the same guy? Well, then they would leave them out and identify them, you know based on what they were wearing or perhaps, you know, you could speak to them and get a street name or something from them video or pictures of from a distance. Maybe. Yeah, but you know obviously didn't have the camera technology equipment that they did you ever move up. I mean, how do you move up in there to start doing like bigger? Wait? Yeah, they had major cases as well. They were someone else. You know what? I did on those typically they considered as the arm. So I would go with this one undercover in particular like in the 106 Precinct. He was buying some way from people and I was like the girlfriend. Yeah. Well the ankh, so I really didn't do the interaction. I was just kind of there dressed up and whatever. Is there a ghost out on the street sometimes? Yeah, the audience would have ghost this. Yeah, it's somebody who's just watching you, you know watching you where you were. Lock in place like the Lower East Side. It's so easy. They just blend in. Nobody knows who they are. As a matter of fact, there were times where the ghosts officers would be five feet away, you know, really really close but then there were other places you go that it's just really not possible. It's very very difficult active out of that. I did make detective and once I'm a detective I eventually went to like the bureau. Okay. So so you got promoted to detective of any what you've got one of the best Squad. Yes, that's Sucks, right? No, I did. I loved the detect that that was what did you go to Midtown North? Oh my God for hook. Yeah, but maybe Ruth Chris. No, I'll tell you when I first got there Mickey Mantle's restaurant right on Central Park South somebody broke into the Safe, and I don't know still about eight or ten thousand dollars, whatever it was. So there was this old time detective they are, you know, may he rest in peace? His name was Harry Bridge would so I was like a date or I caught the case and I said, you know Harry let's go over here and you know, so I can interview these people and he says no always go with dinner time and I never forgot that that's right. You know, that is such a gem. It's such a beautiful. Thing to and it's the these Little Gems at the veteran cop strapped on you guys are such a beautiful little tidbit of information Little Gems that the veteran cop strapped on you. They just made the job so much better man. Yeah, there were some great great squads working great. Detectives. Yeah, I worked in the to 400 to 6 in the squad and as way too many cases, I didn't eat too many cases. But then again I came out of warrants. I was having a blast I don't warrants and I didn't want to leave Squad but I don't want to put down the squad work. It's meaningful and it's what the backbone of the detective Bureau. It's all job. You know, it's that's why you know, that's why not putting it down. I'm just saying it's very difficult. It's a lot of work the case is never stop coming in Midtown North then did you did you guys have problems with the Westies? He's like, no not really it no audience. That's the Irish mob that yeah worked in the movie business we and I'm trying to give his name for the stone. Well, we had a guy in he was in the rip actually who lived over there and grew up over there. So he knew a lot of those layers and I know he was very involved but I was embarrassed reading that book about those guys because they were supposed to do a hit for the Italian mob and they said we're going out to do it and what we got drunk. Forgot about it. It's good, huh? I respect a so, when did you take the Sergeant's test? Because you were a cap get I figure out what year it was. Honestly when you were in the squad obviously, right? Yeah, and actually at some point I transferred out to the 105 Squad and closer to home. Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea on kids at the time. So that's where I got promoted out of the 105 Squad. That was a good squat. Yeah. It's very far as I see back in the day. There were a lot of drive-by shootings. I don't know they did. Did a lot of drug murders back then? Yep, Kennedy airport, right? Yeah, but commute Wiseman have you couldn't get seven months away Closer to My Island? Yeah. So you're in the squad in the 105 and then for some reason even though you got two young kids you decide to take the Sergeant's test. How many kids you have at that time you're too young kids, right? And he and you decide to take the Sergeant's test. Right? Right, and he passed it with which one the best of that. I went back to Manhattan South. You are hooked 105 to the South. I can't wait to hear some more of these nothing. You mentioned that I don't want to say this anything to do with your looks. I've nothing to do with your brother. You're going to the 3/2 knowing that but yet when I got up there I had a great time. Male Burly cops wondering what happened to your career and why you went up in the seven seven and seven five you gave up your seat for the red. Thanks there man. That's great though, but you listen you did the work though. We were in the squad had no matter how you look you gotta catch the cases, you know, you might have some cops helping you with your cases, but you still got your name on it. So CEO of ourselves as Lieutenant. Well, not yet. She still in the world. No, I was In the 105 and I made Sergeant. Okay went back to patrol. Yeah. I came back to the South. Yeah and the South and then I grew up on duty and then I went to the burrow. I went to borrow as a training storage intent and stay. Well we're doing right now is folks. We're highlighting the best places to work in the United States As Told To Us by the really ready King every place that she has mentioned his people that are places where people died of like they wish they could work there. So you went back to Manhattan South as a sergeant now and how is that? Yeah fun spent Back Time. laughter, man Amen, then went over to the borough and Manhattan Southborough know that south of someplace. It is 200. It's a great place lots of Yelps tourists and parades. It was just it was just a real fun place to work. Yeah. I mean, there's always a party going on in Midtown Manhattan. There's always some some details some Pro. It's always something. I had a question. I wanted to ask you those funny to what I forgot. I'm sure it will come back. I hope so. To be nice. Sometimes I drive home with them and that's the ones that we want to get once. I'm on my way home, but Oh, yeah, so you're in Midtown South your when do you how many hours do they do? They give you a day to study when he worked there. I used to go to all the classes. Yeah, it just happened to be conveniently Midtown South. That's what they taught him. Right? Well now they know but you probably went to what you're gonna change a for the classic pts. Yeah. I went to one of those schools. Yeah, go ahead. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. How long did you spend? This is as a sergeant before he became Lieutenant. Oh boy a couple of years. Maybe like four. I'm not quite sure and yeah, then I took the Lieutenant's test. Would you wind up there? Let me wait. Let me guess what's left? It will look nice places left and I went back to I went to Internal Affairs for two years. Oh, yeah, that's like You had to go right that was the thing. So I went kidnapped and so I went to Queens IB and I was there and you were the whiskers coming out of your face. And then I would you think working in IAB. Did you feel bad going working there? Did you feel like you would be able to do your job there the well, you don't want no part of the what you think about. Well, I just wanted to go back to the detective Bureau. I knew that I had to be there. I mean everybody who had any sort of investigative background. That's great. Yeah got grabbed and went in there and I actually work with you know, everybody was kind of in the same boat. Everybody was looking to go back to you know, the robbers got to wherever they came from. Well a lot of people say that the the bosses that weren't there when they're because like Bill mentioned they got kidnapped. Yeah, you know, you gotta go if you put it if you put in for any type of detail to get out of Patrol you're going to have To go through I be first but if you were there is a cop that's a little different right trying to get your shoe leather showed you or like a volunteer and you know, your motives are questioned by most police. Yeah. Yeah. So so you did you two years and I be after you became a lieutenant. And where'd you where'd you end up a lieutenant? I they asked me to be the Personnel officer of I be so I did that down on Hudson Street and I did that for probably two years and then got promoted. Years two years is what you have to do. I owe you. I made Captain Adam. I am being yeah pretty quickly. They try to keep you and your men captain. No and I would not have stayed and I was asked to be the XO of dcpi at the time that's in the CPI for our audience. That doesn't know what that is. Basically you working hand in hand with with the news media, right? Correct. What do you prepare like the briefings that are going to go out to the news? Cases. Yeah, a lot of that a lot of people who were standing up in front of the news media, you know, we'd help you no, right talking points and you know different details to set up walked into the bullets, which became the yeah, then it became a pi W the preliminary investigative work sheet, which was like doing a term paper at work, right? I used to write them and in which the police commission will actually use that to brief the Press. I would see exactly what I wrote. Coming out of his mouth. Well, when you're a boss like a sergeant, especially in the squad, you're going to have to give an update to the to the higher up bosses about what what happened with this case, right and out of those come the bullets, right? Yes that you mentioned and then of the bullets you take those and you give those to PC does his briefing with the bullet. Yeah, really? Yeah, but they were very helpful, you know, especially for the people who were speaking to the Press probably weren't even at the scene right? So they were very happy. Helpful, as you know to what happened, you know with timelines. I'm trying to get somebody to do bullets for his here because every other person that we has a book and I want to read that's right, right. I was forced to read it. What are those things called those things in high school that used to get Kiki Chicho that those those votes Cliff Notes. Yeah, but you know, the other thing I would I what I objected to was that the police department had this posture of Telling the Press everything even to the extent that at home the case, they actually didn't give a shit, you know, and I remember one time we had a case where this guy murdered this 90 World Holocaust Survivor, and we got them all identified and will give any going out and getting them that morning and detective from DCP dcpi calls me and he says what's going on with the case I go we got all the perps I did. We're going to get him he goes. Yeah, I know what you mean. Yeah, because what's their names? I go. I'm not giving you their names this little dcpi pussy. Hence the phone to the inspector who gets on the phone and start screaming at me. Who the fuck are you? Not at that so I lied right on the scene of so proud of myself. So Chief Matarazzo told me not to tell you till we get them and he was like you have him call you I'm gonna have the chief call you yet. They're kind of the phone. We went out got them Colin all three of them. Then I was like, this isn't his their names as we needed statements. Yeah, so if they put their names in the paper, they're Going to lawyer up, you know what I mean? So yeah, but that was the policy of the department which was is probably still to this day but it's a bit policy. Yeah, so I would say are for two months and I need to be like 9/11 hit. Oh, wow, so that kind of changed the whole, you know dynamics of you know, what was happening on a day-to-day they are, you know, it was the beginning different you're not going to be covering any more crimes. Well one crime that you going to be talking about very much dealing, you know with the Press. He's coming in from all over the country and most of the world basically. Yeah, it was it was really tough times, you know for everybody, you know for everybody but yeah, so it seems so long ago now, doesn't it? It really does. Are you still a lieutenant? It's point. No, you were captain and ECPI. Yes. All right. What else have well, how much time do you have on right now? I'm retired. No I'm saying we don't have 60 years on this. Is whatever but when you when you were working dcpi, it was over 20 years. I think I was the only person promoted Captain with over 20 years on the job. Really? Yeah, it was definitely over 20 years. That was figure that the ballpark figure for somebody to be made Captain is probably around their 20th year, but you're saying something different so it's usually might be between the 15th and 20th year and right. Well, there's a case structure that makes it not worth it. Right. What is the pay structure and full play again? Oh, I think most people would say that if they could Rejoice Lieutenant with the money that's much better. Yeah, that's like the home run but for some fans out there Lieutenant that gets What's called the money Squad Commander pay makes Captain's pay and can make over time. Yeah, and sometimes can get 600 hours a year, which makes them make Chiefs pay, right? But Captain is the if you desire to go up higher, obviously, you got to become a Captain before you become a deputy inspector before you become a respected and Achieve. So if you have a Operations have gone higher in the job. Then you got to say a little bit. You're going to have to say no to that the short end money and you're in for the Long Haul but you decided you wanted to be a captain. And now you working in dcpi. How long how long did you spend that's a captain six months. That was it. And then he retired no, no the bureau I did I had the opportunity to go to Manhattan detectives. That's what I love to do is you met me when you that's right. I went she was my captain Oh, yeah not right away. I went to my getaway to Manhattan South detect. That's right. She she went bigger with the old. It's unbelievable the South got all the money all the prestige all the attention all the overtime and the north. We had DNA all over all suits, you know, however, I so I went to the South and I had the second division which was the sixth and Ninth 13th and the 10th and at some point Chief a he asks basically told me I need to go to Manhattan what Bobby I have, you know was retiring Anna Captain yeah sure. No problem. So I go up and I take the six division the 2 3 2 5 2 8 3 Tails of rock and place it absolutely was it was great place to work. So we said to me don't worry. I'll get you back to the South as soon as I can, you know to go to get it I go up there and I'm sorry about that and you keep it in the top side and I loved it. I had a great time any calls me at some point says yeah, you know, I'll bring back my hat and say why did you love it? I said I'm not I'm just a little bit about the difference between the job and why? Why'd you does that the first of all I want to say Manhattan South detect us was great. It was awesome. It's wonderful. I don't know. It's like when you find the one right I just loved being there is a suits in the north. Yeah, that's true. Well you found but I just loved being there. It was so busy even like comstat, even though you know because it's got, you know, we were called. Like all the time. We were always prepared Squad Commander School great Billy that the homicide cried cried. My office was in Special Victims dad place was wrong and it was so good that they had special victims in 3280 broad. Yeah, they moved. I have no idea when they moved after I left but it was always a great exchange of information. We covered their jobs, they covered with us, you know, and then they move those like it to PSA 5. Oh my God, what a mistake that was I was going on at that point. Yeah. But anyway, that's that's how I wound. End up back in the detective Bureau and I'll stay there for a couple of years until I retired how many years did you do in total on the job 25 and a half? Wow, that's good. I didn't realize you two dummies. I thought you'd like it 2020. Actually, I did 24 and a half but I had like over a year time in time took me to 25 and a half years for audience. Captain's don't get paid cash overtime back then and so they put could lay like a year of time and when they retired they could make the Diego a year post, right so you could just get paid and then your retirement date doesn't start for a year. It's pretty so when you retire did you have a plan to do something else? So you decide you know what? I'm just going to chill out watch my kids grow up help them out. Well your plan. I I did have a plan. I retired in June of 2005 in August of 2004. I was going to Florida and that was back when you could get a third. $89 flight on check flew right? But that was the year that they had four massive hurricanes coming through East Coast West Coast. It was destroying everything. So I went on I was like, well, I'm not going in the middle of all these hurricanes. And for the first time I saw this work here tab so I go in and I click on it and it's something home by myself canceling a flight and I look through a neces job for a Security Supervisor JFK airport. So I'm reading through it and I'm like, yeah. I've had all the credentials. I've got the education. I got nothing to do sitting here by myself. What is that a night and I apply for it. So at one point in ask for a resume and like I never had a resume in my whole life. I had a civil service job. So I went on resume.com and I made myself a resume. This is fascinating to me and I hit the send button. So the next day I got the thank you, you know, we'll hold it for six months and you have to attach a picture like a headshot with it. It they've got thousands whatever. So about two months later. I work nights. I worked at five-to-one. It's right. It's about twelve o'clock in the afternoon my home phone rings, which normally I wouldn't even answer and I pick it up and they say it's already out there. And normally I would say no she's not here, but I cycle who's this? And she said who she was from Shuffle I said, well, this is all right. Anyway, long story short, we want to come in for an interview. So I said yeah fine. So I made arrangements. I went in for an interview. They said would be 45 minutes. I was there for two and a half hours. Yes, they said they didn't want me for that job, but they would just budgeting in for a manager for investigations job, which was really more up my alley. That's great. So they said after the New Year. We're going to post it by employment law. You got a poster jobs. We want you to put in for it. So I did and I wound up getting the job you so resume for my resume. Yep same resume. It's my go-to recipe. Yeah, that's great. So so tell us about that. Your new job description what it entailed it's basically entailed, you know, investigating, you know, things between customers and you know, internal external investigations along with the working with the TSA and those collaborative relationships and I remember coming back when I when I decided I was going to take the job and I was telling she Fahey I was retiring and I was saying about the job. He's like, what are they investigating the Allied some like I really don't know exactly. But boy, did I find out? What did what do they invest a lot of things both? Like I said internal and external look like thinking like six times on the planes, right? All Airlines get that kind of stuff. What kind of sex crimes on planes? Oh, yeah this sexually open shortly. Yeah, I've heard about those you fall asleep in the guy puts his hand in your lap. Yeah. That's very always you. Yeah, just you know a soul Salt, you know online on the aircraft to be DPS on those planes you get a lot EVPs on the planes, right? Yeah, all the airlines do as well. Yeah, you get you know, what we would I know we were talking about it before we also have a rule we should talk about stutter want to talk about on the air but I told you about JetBlue's animal policy drives me out of my fucking mind. I'm allergic to cats. What is that walk on this little we keep he's got a cat in her lap. You know, I'm like what the Is this I grabbed the students like I'm allergic to cats. Why is this fucking girl got a cat? No. Oh that's a service animal. You should throw her in that service and and then another lady has a dog and it's the stupidest issued. You should have saw last week. Someone had a little horse and I'm like, what is this the fucking this the arc can have someone think two of every animal what happens when somebody has an allergy like that a legit allergy against Cuts. I mean, I know you're catering to one person, but you could be just as big as loudmouth as what do they separate you? Yeah, but that's luckily. I was excited was back but I saw your little psycho with a cat. I was like waiting this is this is where you got to check Billet you will complaining about a cat that was ten rows back. I'm badly look to the cat's I even get that that danger in the air and I start sneezing. What the fuck is. What is Gander dander? Oh and just when you take a gander at all, right? So are you saying is that even though the cat? We have ten rows you wouldn't even have known the cat was there unless you walk past it unless he was like damn open. Everybody stays gets one of those service animal cards because they have anxiety right? You said pretty easy to get right? Well, what they have to do is they have to have proof of you know, requiring a service cycle. Well, it's service animal for whatever reason and you know, they have to carry that paperwork with them. And you know, there's a lot going on in DC. I am not involved. I was not involved with Kind of stuff. There's a lot going on in DC with all the airlines again. Yeah, we're really looking more into you know, the service animals and you know how they're going to move forward with that because what basically gives rights to one person takes the rights away from another sometimes most of the time. Obviously they look to accommodate everybody. Like you said you'd so talking about huge sheepdog. Yeah, how much are you in charge of right now though? Like are you just in charge of JFK or this is a nationwide job. So well, I retired from JetBlue in August. I spent I'm sorry y-you were working for July was working for JetBlue. Yeah. So I oversaw all the invest security investigations for the company. Wow, so whether they were, you know, domestic or International No, could you do that seems looking up so much work. Yeah, I oversaw their gold and russet stewardess. No, was it worth it financially money-wise. Were they paying you that much? I I really enjoy geofflove. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. She's no that's a yes folks sounds like a six-figure high six-figure. Yeah. I did like we had a command center almost like the wheel called a blue watch and 24/7 operation. Mostly retired Lauren this is really important. So what I'm going to ask you now, I don't want to cut you off. But before we go any further, do you still have buddy passes? Yeah gonna use your 10 years ago when I was performing in colleges, but also Nationwide and international to man. That's amazing. Like what where does the JetBlue's mostly Flora has a great reputation jablow as far as if you're going to people love that Airline. Well, she was behind some of the friendly law enforcement stuff. You want to touch upon it? Those about that. Yeah, so I told Billy so it was just about five years ago December 20th the two officers in Brooklyn, you know who are sad? Yeah. I know one of them worked with us. Yeah and within 15 minutes of me seeing that on the news, I got a email message and I had said Loretta what can we do to help and it was from our CEO Robin Hayes. And so I knew I knew what our capabilities were and obviously, you know, what was going to work with other internal stakeholders and help the families of the officers in whatever we could do. Well the next day I get a call from our reservations out in Salt Lake and they said the rhetta. We just got these cops from San Diego. They want to know if they will fly them for free to come to the funeral. And I said she said what should we tell them and I'm like thinking and I'm like why can't we do that? So I said, well, let's talk about this more. So like within a day we worked out this whole plan where we would space available, you know, whatever seats are available to seats, you know her law enforcement agency if they want to send them in for First Response, whether it's a fireman or a law enforcement right and fly them into the funerals and How that whole thing started that's great. Yeah. Yeah obviously had to deal with you know issues. You know, now we've got all these cops coming into like place like New York and you know all the guns and you know work closely with the TSA and I don't know if you know John bambury, he's retired from the job. He's the FSD at JFK for the TSA great guy great partnership with him and you know, he doesn't have A great relationship with one thing. I mean that's not necessarily true and there's no courtesy would say well they they got a job to do but you know from our farm, you know, they say you get chosen for extra searching and say dude. I'm retired. I just do what I gotta do. To now because I know there will be no courtesy extended. Yeah, you know, it's easier and now I just got a new hip so I set off the alarm. Yeah, they're like, oh they jump on me. Like I'm a terrorist I said listen, I just got a new hip. Yeah. It's going to set the yeah, so but yeah, the TSA issue is a big deal with, you know, trying to you know, get them back. We would dedicate a lane for a law enforcement and just kind of do the right thing by law enforcement JetBlue is it's a pretty popular airline. Yeah, right. Yeah, I think so. And the fact that you were you came up with a way to accommodate especially with for our fallen heroes. That's a beautiful thing man. That was a felon you watching you the fact that you gave it the time out that you weren't so quick to just like now we can that well that was great. The irony of it is is like who else but you know law enforcement cop is looking for free, right? It turned into a really great thing. I said the Jolie see, you know, he's gonna come on the show and he just The pizza place. Oh, really. I said could you bring up high in that day will eat alone you go scoffs. You just like whenever you always want shit for free for you to advertise your pizza place. Yeah, but I'm sure you probably got you probably can't tell this but I'm sure there's a probably a couple times with so many cold in they wanted to fly to a certain area and just on behalf of own team. We have looking up funerals in a retired cop died in Utah, you know, I did my mother's there. This is a perfect time of year to go. Well they are there are rules to it. You know, you can't go for and like I think you can only go for three days. So the tickets not open-ended right you right? You can't bring you the Mata, you know, he's going by yourself. So there are definitely wife and kids can't come no, no just a law enforcement and it's been so well-received its kind of tree joking but it's beautiful sky blue is cotton, you know awards from so many agencies all over the country. They're so appreciative. You know the Fab have other corporations followed suit in I don't know exactly what other operations specifically Airlines do. I would say JetBlue stands out significantly on every state law enforcement is no actually he's well the CEO now, he's British but he is a huge law enforcement supporter as is most of If not, all of our senior Executives at JetBlue which really benefits as well. I mean, I don't know if you know, but we also have a plane dedicated to the NYPD as well as it might have seen that yeah, which is really nice cool things in the Loretta. No. Hey, let me ask you a question you since you were a captain on this job and you can't you were set in I'm sure quite a few comp stats and then you go into the corporate world and now you're in this business. Business meetings what what? What is the difference between the two like, I'm sure I'm just curious to know what you thought about when you going into these business meetings compared to like NYPD meetings different Dynamics being in the corporate world. It's a whole different culture and that's one of the big things when people leave like the NYPD will probably any other law enforcement agency. Now, you're going to the corporate world. You got to know what the culture of the company is that you're going to for sure. It doesn't matter because I I interviewed hundreds of people over the years. It doesn't matter how much experience you have. Yeah, obviously, we want experienced people but when it comes down to it is who's the best cultural fit for this place, you know, whatever organization it is and there it's very interesting culture. They think what what is it that you talked to corporate culture is, you know, what the company stands for, you know, how they act you know, how they treat each other how they give back. To the community what JetBlue is huge involvement in communities all across the country and internationally as well. So what that looks like there was always a term there, you know healthy push back where you know, you could have, you know, say senior executive, you know, sitting with, you know, a coordinator, you know, having a dis marketing discussion or security discussion or whatever it is and and have that discussion where everybody's kind of like on the same playing field because they want everybody's input. It's not that a paramilitary type of conversation and not that that's necessarily bad. It's not so so knowing that is really really important and I got to tell you our security department. We would like like the grandparents like we were the old folks in the company. I mean everyone's over 50 practically and you've got you know, and I have to Millennials so you've got a lot of younger kids, but I got Tell you some they bring a really great perspective to the table like things that you know, they know and are aware of and even things like we did in security, you know, you have to look at the context of you know, what's the Corp Comm team going to think and how does this look for marketing for example, and so you work with all these different departments, you know to come to a collaborative effort on how you're going to do things because we all did did you NYPD background in your training? Help you a lot in working for JetBlue. Yeah, and I would say common sense and the ability to make a decision is huge which made thousands of decisions on the NYPD every day and because things would happen there and you know, you'd have great people but who had never experienced perhaps that type of situation they always came to the security team. What should we do and it we were really grateful to be included in those conversations and we We brought a lot of experience a lot of good thought, you know into helping people, you know get through on how we're going to go about getting this sort of things done an example. I'll give you is we put together a what we call a blue Haven program. It was our workplace violence prevention and our active shooter and our business continuity and emergency response, which was not under us was very much involved in that but really he did not have anybody on team that had that type of experience. So we worked with them. Put like for example active shooter scenarios together like in our support center in Long Island City where the NYPD came in and it was great for them to they got to see the layout of the building. They got to you know, go through their protocol and know our crew members got to see what an enactment of a shooting would be and and so that particular Department worked with us and was able to put together a program which is leading in the industry. No other airline has the program that we at JetBlue had must've been tough leaving the job though. It sounds like you really really liked it. I did I did and what was the reason loser easy? You know, I always feel and I felt this way at the NYPD. It's always best to get out when you're at the top of your game. And there's a lot of times people don't know that you know, they were other factors to I became a grandmother I have Of two beautiful granddaughters who live in Los Angeles and you know, I turned 60 no way. I'm buying it at all. Well, I did she's hot. I think really I just making my grandmother's younger and younger these days. No II just wanted to live. I want to enjoy it. Enjoy life. Do you keep a lifetime? You know, it's You see Concept in the airline industry. It's called the number 65. So if you are age plus 10 years at the particular Airline hit 65, you get unlimited Lifetime and by benefits. Hmm. So I hit that years ago, but I also you know had when I left got some perks. No because it's you who's that? You don't have to 10 you weigh on actually could do that. It's what using year old Shield there's or ta Nationwide and interview other police officers and other heroes from other departments and First Responders from all over the country and we calling you up Loretta. Listen, when we asked you about those buddy passes. Yeah, well those will expire at some point, but now it's it's it's a remarkable career. Okay, so we're drawing near the first our believe it or not learn. How would I know? Listen? I'm not saying that you would particularly nervous but most of the gifts that we have on especially if you don't do a lot of this kind of stuff you can see that a little bit nervous and did of how the field was a bad. It's fine. It was great. Right and you did you notice did you yeah an hour went by so on the Top of the say we want to start having Coronas and then the conversations would ya ugly God's will is for me we're gonna we're gonna go in a completely different different direction in the second half and all this stuff that you want to talk about as well. But the first half is remarkable. I'm fascinated by the career. I'm going to thank you for coming in and we're going to take a break right now. We're going to build any parting words in the first. Yeah. I know the better I worked with her and she was up my captain in the detective Bureau. She's always a great boss and I'm glad she's had have a feeling great life of you to remember seeing you. You probably wouldn't remember me. I mean, I was in the shadows. You're right. I wouldn't remember. You know, I had I used to dress the part. I had my off-duty on had the shield here my right into the brightest pain in my back pocket you don't take but that was full of jokes. It was it wasn't notes from a jobs. I was an undercover detective literally if it was, okay. Median / detective. Alright, so on the first half man, we covered a lot. We're going to cover some more in the second half but on behalf of police off the cuff. Thanks for coming in Loretta, and we're going to cover the rest of the story in a couple minutes.
Loretta Kennedy was hired at JetBlue Airways in 2005 as the Manager Investigations. She was subsequently promoted to Security Director where she served until her retirement in 2019. Her responsibilities included oversight of: Corporate internal and external Security Investigations, the 24x7 Command Center, Security Training, Security Compliance, Airport Security Operations and Threat Assessment and Mitigation. Most notably, Loretta was very involved with and led the development of the corporate Workplace Violence Prevention and Active Shooter policy and training as well as incorporating the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Lightning program where training was conducted to ensure awareness to the crew members on how they can support the efforts to end human trafficking. Loretta was selected to be the airline representative for the Presidents Department of Transportation Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking where she worked with other members of the committee to make recommendations for increased awareness opportunities directed toward the transportation industry. Prior to joining JetBlue, Loretta worked for the New York City Police Department for 25 years where she had varied assignments and supervisory designations over the years to include: Detective in the Organized Crime Control Bureau, Manhattan South Training Sergeant, Lieutenant Personnel Officer, Internal Affairs Bureau, and as a Captain served as the Executive Officer, Public Information Division and subsequently finished her career overseeing investigations in Detective Borough Manhattan. Loretta has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Marist College and is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy 190th Session. She currently serves as an Advisor for a non-profit, Cycle for Recovery, whose focus is to provide grants to those in need who are dealing with addiction or mental health issues. 