Article 9-2020 ABA

 Article 9-2020 ABA 

Phil Pulaski has 37 years of law enforcement experience and has been an attorney for 40 years. During March 2014, he retired as NYPD’s Chief of Detectives where he was responsible for 3,600 personnel. Phil Pulaski attended St. John's University School of Law in Queens, New York at night, and received a Juris Doctor degree in May 1980. He passed the New York State Bar examination in July 1980, and was admitted to practice law in New York State. Phil Pulaski was subsequently admitted to practice law in the US Supreme Court, US Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, and US District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of NY. In December 2017, Phil Pulaski received a Master of Laws (LLM) advanced law degree summa cum laude from Touro Law School. 

During his more than 33 years serving in the NYPD, Phil Pulaski wrote numerous legal publications and provided a significant amount of legal training including a dozen NY State Bar Continuing Legal Education courses. As NYPD’s Chief of Detectives and NYPD’s Deputy Police Commissioner of Operations, Phil Pulaski collaborated closely with senior executive assistant district attorneys from the 5 NYC District Attorney’s Offices and Special Narcotics Prosecutor as well as senior attorneys from the NYC Law Department. Additionally, as NYPD’s Chief of Detectives, Phil Pulaski’s outstanding team implemented innovative new programs involving eyewitness identification, audio / video recording of custodial interrogations and physical evidence analysis to address potential wrongful conviction issues. Currently Phil Pulaski is an active member of the American Bar Association

The American Bar Association was founded on August 21, 1878, in Saratoga Springs New York by 75 lawyers from 20 states and the District of Columbia. The purpose of the original organization, as set forth in its first constitution, was "the advancement of the science of jurisprudence, the promotion of the administration of justice and a uniformity of legislation throughout the country...." The legal profession as we know it today barely existed at that time. Lawyers were generally sole practitioners who trained under a system of apprenticeship. There was no national code of ethics; there was no national organization to serve as a forum for discussion of the increasingly intricate issues involved in legal practice.

Throughout its history, the ABA has strived to promote ethics in the legal profession, and has introduced model ethics rules to guide state bar associations in the formulation of mandatory state ethical standards. During 2016, the ABA introduced a new ethics rule prohibiting attorneys from using sexist, racist and condescending terms. The rule also prohibits attorneys from engaging in discrimination based on age in the conduct of bar association activities. 

2020 CT

Phil Pulaski has 37 years of law enforcement experience and was the New York City

Police Department’s (NYPD) Chief of Detectives where he was responsible for 3,600

personnel. During his more than 33 years serving with the NYPD, Phil Pulaski managed

patrol, investigative, counterterrorism and other public safety operations. In the

immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Phil Pulaski managed

the NYPD’s counterterrorism and weapons of mass destruction operations. He also

supervised jointly with his FBI counterpart numerous terrorism related investigations

including the 9-11 World Trade Center attack and October 2001 anthrax attacks. Phil

Pulaski also was responsible for NYPD’s intelligence collection and analysis operations

as well as the critical infrastructure risk assessment and security programs.

The FBI is the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for the prevention

and investigation of international and domestic terrorism within the United States.

Pursuant to Federal law, Federal regulations, and Presidential Directives and Executive

Orders, the Attorney General of the United States, acting through the FBI, will coordinate

the activities of the other members of the law enforcement community to detect, prevent,

preempt, and disrupt terrorist attacks against the United States. The FBI manages more

than 200 Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) operating throughout the United States.

The JTTFs are composed of highly trained federal, state and local law enforcement

personnel including investigators, intelligence analysts, forensic technicians and digital

evidence specialists. JTTF personnel investigate leads, collect evidence, make arrests,

collect and share intelligence, and respond to terrorist threats and incidents. The first

JTTF was established by the FBI and NYPD in 1980.

The FBI defines international terrorism as “violent, criminal acts committed by individuals

and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist

organizations or nations (state-sponsored)”, and defines domestic terrorism as “violent,

criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals

stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial,

or environmental nature.” The FBI website lists several ways people can protect

themselves from terrorist threats and report terrorist related suspicious activity. The FBI

recommends people always remain aware of their surroundings and prevent cyber

terrorism by carefully limiting the sharing of personal information via the internet.

Additionally, the FBI makes available to the public numerous guidelines for preventing

terrorism incidents including the Homegrown Violent Extremist Indicators booklet and the

Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative.

IACP Provides Resources to Officers to Address COVID-19 Challenges

Phil Pulaski served as the Chief of Detectives of the New York Police Department prior to retiring in 2014. Actively involved in the law enforcement community, Phil Pulaski belongs to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). With the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak presenting unprecedented obstacles for law enforcement, this and similar groups continue to provide resources and guidance on preparing for and addressing outbreaks.

Among these efforts is educating law enforcement agencies and personnel on COVID-19. This is a vital task as the situation evolves and the scientific community continues to report new findings. IACP maintains a page on its website with basic information on the disease and new details as they become available. In March 2020, it posted documents informing agencies on how to prepare for COVID-19-related challenges and necessary changes in policies, safety measures, and response procedures. This includes suggestions for what steps officers can take for service calls involving people who are sick and new expectations about how to prevent exposure to disease and strict hygiene standards.

IACP also hosts regular online events such as webinars and virtual roundtables and listening sessions on COVID-19 subjects, such as the pandemic’s impact on the policing community, victim advocacy, and response to unrelated offenses. Presenters range from law enforcement professionals to police and victim advocates. These events, which are publicly available, often enable participants to share their experiences, thoughts, and concerns. IACP has also established an online community for its members to engage in discussion and exchange resources regarding the disease.

In addition to assisting with agency operations and officers’ duties, IACP helps to support the personal and mental well-being of law enforcement officers and their families. For instance, it offers information on safety practices and emergency-funding programs for those financially affected by COVID-19. Furthermore, IACP webinars and listening-session topics extend to mental health, stress management, and similar issues.

New NYPD Chief of Detectives on the Importance of Community Relations

In September 1980, 1 month after passing the NYS Bar Examination, Phil Pulaski joined the New York City Police Department (NYPD). He subsequently served as a police officer in the 77th Precinct in Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn. During the next 4 decades, Phil Pulaski received numerous promotions and ultimately rose through the ranks to become the NYPD’s Chief of Detectives where he was responsible for 3,600 personnel assigned to more than 150 units citywide. As Chief of Detectives, Phil Pulaski implemented innovative new investigative operations, forensic initiatives, case management procedures and computer systems. Phil Pulaski applauded the recent selection of Rodney Harrison as the NYPD’s Chief of Detectives. Rodney Harrison is an extremely experienced, skilled and knowledgeable police executive, and a truly outstanding leader. Chief Harrison is the NYPD’s first African American Chief of Detectives and is a role model for all young people regardless of race, gender or religion.

In an interview with ABC Eyewitness News about goals for the NYPD, Chief Harrison discussed the core focus of cracking down on crime while forging stronger community relationships. Over his first five weeks on the job, he described a process of getting used to the transition from neighborhood policing as Chief of Patrol to a focus on follow-up investigations after the crimes occur.

While his new job is different in many ways, Harrison continues to embrace the neighborhood policing philosophy that centers on gaining the trust of local community members. This work includes the outreach efforts of police officers visiting schools and making young people aware of the NYPD’s community policing mission. Many of the serious crimes his detectives investigate are related to gangs, he notes, and when police make positive connections with youth, it can serve to keep the incidence of such crimes down.

New Rapid DNA Technology Expedites Analysis of Samples

Phil Pulaski retired from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) after more than 33 years of service. He spent his last five years in the NYPD as Chief of Detectives and oversaw 3,600 personnel citywide. As Chief of Detectives, Phil Pulaski also was responsible for the largest municipal forensic laboratory, crime scene unit and latent print unit in the United States. He subsequently worked with his friend Chief Daniel Oates in the Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) and helped the crime scene unit implement RAPID DNA technology. While working in the MBPD, Phil Pulaski became a member of the FBI RAPID DNA Task Force and American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) RAPID DNA Task Group. Phil Pulaski is helping lead a collaborative effort within the law enforcement, legal and forensic science community to develop nationwide protocols for the use of Rapid DNA technology by police agencies in a non-laboratory environment.

As reported by NBC News in late 2019, RAPID DNA technology can provide results from crime scene DNA that helps identify criminals in a matter of hours, rather than the months that was previously the case. Developed by 2 different private companies, the Rapid DNA instrument is approximately the size of a microwave oven and can be operated by a properly trained police officer.

The RAPID DNA instruments are designed to automate the complex and painstaking process of traditional DNA analysis. Working with single source biological evidence, the sample is loaded within a disposable “chip” and placed in the instrument. Within two hours, a traditional electropherogram and corresponding DNA profile are generated.

The FBI RAPID DNA Task Force recently published a document entitled “Non-CODIS RAPID DNA Considerations and Best Practices for Law Enforcement Use” that contains guidelines for police agencies implementing RAPID DNA technology in a non-laboratory environment. The FBI Best Practices document addresses a range of topics including Staffing, Collaboration with Prosecutors, Training, Sample Selection/Comparison, Proficiency Testing and Instrument Maintenance/Calibration

Methods to Build Community Relations Through Police Departments

police

Law enforcement expert Phil Pulaski has been a featured speaker at events such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police, American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors and International Association for Identification. During March 2014, Phil Pulaski retired as Chief of Detectives of the NYC Police Department (NYPD) where he managed 3,600 personnel who, during 2013, investigated more than 256,000 felony and misdemeanor crimes (including 335 homicides) and arrested than 39,000 offenders

Recently, the NYPD promoted Rodney Harrison to be the first African American to serve as the Chief of Detectives. Previously, Chief Harrison was the Chief of Patrol where he implemented numerous successful innovative community policing programs. Chief of Detectives Harrison has prioritized reducing crime and building community relationships, and is well positioned to lead New York’s detectives.

In recent years, generational distrust between communities and the police have been exacerbated by tragic high-profile incidents. For this reason, community relationship building has taken on greater importance. There are a variety of methods available to departments looking to improve community relations. For example, departments can engage the community in joint planning and problem solving, providing an avenue for the public to voice their concerns. Other options include improved training, promotion through youth development programs, and connecting members of the public to social resources.

There are several actions individual police officers can take as well. In addition to volunteering within their assigned precinct, officers can interact more often with citizens in peaceful situations. These actions build personal relationships with citizens, and allow the public to get to know person behind the badge.