?Tuesday's General Session of the 61st Annual Seminar and Exhibits was both a treat and learning experience for attendees who came to hear more about the 50-year public service career of keynote speaker Raymond W. Kelly. In addition, security practitioners who have achieved the Certified Protection Professional� (CPP), Physical Security Professional�, or Professional Certified Investigator� certifications were recognized.

Before the former New York City Police Commissioner took the stage, Professional Certification Board President Keith Kambic, CPP, presented the individuals who recently achieved one of the organization's three professional certifications. In addition, he recognized the 15 individuals that reached triple certifications this year.

"People who hold professional certifications are the core of our industry and our organization," Kambic said. "By maintaining our certifications and working together to share best practices, we continue to improve the practice of security around the globe."

Kelly. Following the recognition ceremony, ASIS President Dave N. Tyson, CPP, introduced the guest of honor. Lauding Kelly and the work he did with the New York Police Department (NYPD), Tyson noted the commissioner's work to rebuild the safety and security of New York after the September 11, 2001, attacks. "He created the first counterterrorism bureau of any municipal police department in the country, and since 2001, the NYPD has driven down violent crime by 40 percent," Tyson noted.�

The keynote took place in a question and answer format, and attendees had the opportunity to submit inquiries for the former commissioner. When asked about gathering intelligence for threats against New York City, Kelly explained his efforts to take advantage of information coming to them both at home and abroad. One initiative Kelly spearheaded, for example, was embedding NYPD with local law enforcement around the world.

"We assign people overseas to act as tripwires and listening poles for New York City," Kelly noted. "We have police officers born in 106 countries. There's a tremendous diversity of language skills, and we wanted to use those skills in places that could be early warning locations for NYPD."

When asked how information sharing can be leveraged usefully in a way that allows security practitioners to better protect critical infrastructure, Kelly pointed out that government agencies don't want to be caught with information they should have disseminated if something goes wrong. "That's a bad thing for them," he said. "There's also still an issue of government agencies not sharing with other government agencies, and that can be problematic."

Community perspectives. Community police efforts in New York and across the nation were also addressed�an issue that has become a hot topic in light of unarmed citizens being killed or shot by police. Kelly said community policing should be approached as problem solving, not just putting officers out in the street and hoping people like them.

"I always say that this quest to have the public love the police, well that's never going to happen because of the nature of policing," he noted. "Police are the bearers of bad news�they deliver summons; they have to use deadly force. What you're aiming for is mutual respect between police and the communities they serve."