Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Announces 213th Session Graduation from the State Police Basic School

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks honoring 232 new State Troopers as they graduated from the 213th session of the Basic School of the New York State Police Academy.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

AUDIO of the Governor's remarks is available here.

PHOTOS of the event are available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good morning. What a wonderful, spectacular day this is. I know everybody looks really serious, but this is a great day. First of all, to our Acting Superintendent Chiumento, I want to thank you for accepting the role of leadership at a time when your skills and your talent and your experience are so desperately needed.

Very proud to be joined by New York's own Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado. Let's give him a round of applause.

Trooper Fryer, that was one of the most beautiful renditions of the National Anthem I've ever heard, so thank you for sharing that. And also, I do want to also recognize the class representative, Kevin Knightes, for obviously demonstrating leadership, the first among first, and I want to thank him for already displaying the kind of leadership we expect to see as his career unfolds.

Major Anthony Oliver, Director of Training. This is your first training class, sir? Yes? I think you did very well, don't you? Let's give him a round of applause.

And those who remind us of the presence of God in our lives, who we call on in our time of need, in our time of gratitude, and that's Pastor Traynham and Rabbi Heschel. I thank both of them for bringing the spiritual presence to us as well. Also, I want to recognize members of the State Legislature who've joined us today, many in spirit, but also those who are present here today, if they could stand up and take a bow to our, we recognize our members of the Assembly and the Senate who are here today.

Thank you. Thank you.

Before we get into the joyous occasion of this, it's also hard when I, as Governor, get the phone call, and the phone call that I received, not once, but twice in the last ten days or so, was the loss of two of our State Police officers, both who succumb to illnesses that they incurred when they were helping find lives, save people in the aftermath of 9/11.

And to their families that have watched the sadness of seeing this hero not taken away on that day like thousands, but also similarly losing their life in the pursuit of helping fellow Americans, I want to recognize them as well here today. So let's keep them in our prayers always.

And remember, as you celebrate this graduation, you stand on their shoulders. And the shoulders of thousands who came before you, who were brave and courageous, who sat in these very seats at one time. On that first day, not quite sure what would unfold in their lives, but they still showed up.

And you are the 213th class. Think about that. All the classes that went before you and your role as you think about your place in history and the history of this elite institution. This is what I hope you are having, calling to mind today.

And I also want to acknowledge the pride of all the people watching. The moms and dads, the partners, husbands, wives, sometimes children, brothers and sisters – you sacrificed a lot and you have that sense of anxiety. Is my loved one going into harm's way in this profession?

But as the Governor, I want to thank all of you for, at some point, influencing the people sitting before us, whether it's conversations at the dinner table, whether it's people who came before and wore the uniform. Whatever the influences were, you taught them to be good Americans, to be great New Yorkers, and also so selfless that they would become one of the elite few who put on a uniform go through the trials and tribulations and the sacrifice and the time away from families to be here today. So, let's all give a round of applause and I'm going to tell all of the recruits here and our new troopers to give your families a round of applause as well. So, let's recognize them. You're allowed to do that.

I think about the fact that 4,400 people applied for these positions. If you do the math, 1,000 were processed, but only 232 were selected. That's less than one percent. That is one of the many reasons you are in a very elite class of individuals, and don't forget that. You were called to this, but your experience and your dedication and your passion for service to others is why you are sitting here today.

And I also know that there's individuals who have inspired their own family members. In 2003, Kenneth Kellenbenz graduated from this very academy. He went on to serve with great courage and admiration from his colleagues for over 20 years. But somewhere along the way, his work, his passion, caught the attention of his children. And today, two of his sons, Daniel and Andrew, will graduate today as troopers, joining not just his father's work, but also the family of the state police. And I want to thank them as well for continuing that legacy of service to others.

Also, many of you have answered the call to service to our nation. Over 20 served in wars – Afghanistan, Iraq. 46 of you actually served in other police forces. I spent 14 years in local government. I was responsible for hiring police officers and our chief of police. I knew what I was looking for. So many of you have already served in your local communities and now you have a chance to serve them at even higher level.

But I want to talk today about my expectations on all of you as your Governor. I want to make sure that you never stop treating your fellow New Yorkers as human beings, people in need. They're going to call upon you in a way that you'll never even be able to think about today. Because some night you're driving on a dark road, and you see a vehicle off to the side with the flashers on. It's dark, it's scary, you don't know what you're entering into. Someone who could do you harm, or is it someone in need? But in that car could be a young mom, who ran into car trouble and has children crying in the back seat. When they roll down the window and see your face, and all of a sudden, they know they're going to be okay.

Extend that love and compassion to them. All of you have that within you. You don't check that at the door when you put on a uniform to serve a community. You keep that. You kindle that. Don't ever be disillusioned because you are the ones that are bringing hope to someone in need. And we saw that on display so many times this year.

Just since I spoke to the last graduating class in June. Our State Police responded and helped capture the Gilgo Beach murderer who traumatized the community for over a decade. People unsure whether they should let their children go out and play. Our State Police helped bring that person to justice.

Not long after, a bus full of students from Farmingdale High School, careened down a ravine, 50 feet down with students, a band heading off to Pennsylvania. Our State Police were there, and you can imagine putting themselves in danger, their own lives, as they had to go down that steep ravine and approach a bus that could have blown up in any second. My State Police, our State Police did that.

I think about a little girl, a nine-year-old that was kidnapped not far from here. Our State Police responded, and they were there. So, you never know the face of someone who's going to need you. But they're all over our State.

And I know that you've been through the rigors of the academy. You've had to learn so much. Learn all about the penal code. More than I learned in law school about all the rules. I know the grueling morning exercises, the PT. I'm with State Police every day of the week and I ask them about this, and I know how hard it was. But more than that was the separation from your family for all those months.

And to describe how on a Friday would roll around, it was like a birthday celebration, all excitement, because you're going home to your family. And on Sunday, that natural reluctance to kiss your loved ones and say goodbye but knowing that it was temporary. But this was an investment of time and your energy, and today it pays off.

It is true we are trying to bring more to the ranks, because this is a proud institution. I want to see more diversity, I want to see more women, but all of you are part of that journey to help us get there. By your example in your community, when people see what you are doing, you can be the inspiration to others who want to be in that same uniform someday. So, I'm calling on all of you to be ambassadors – wear that uniform proudly, go to other events in the community, interact with people, show the compassion.

I know it's hard, my friends. I know there's a time when those in law enforcement feel they're under siege and they're not respected. And sometimes communities just make them feel unwelcome. But you also have the ability to break down those barriers, show them your humanity. Let them know you care, help people have understanding. That's powerful. If every one of you can have that impact on just one other person, and help bridge the divide between communities and law enforcement, then we're on the road to healing in this State. That's the power that you have. There's a lot of mistrust of law enforcement.

But I want to tell you right now, as your Governor, I have your back. I've invested more than any Governor in the State of New York's history – in resources, and technology, and communication systems, and helping fight guns on the streets. And I made that one of my top priorities. So, where are these guns coming from? They're coming up from Pennsylvania and going over to Syracuse, or over to Brooklyn, or the Bronx. Someone has to stop them. So, we started working closely together across the State with other states, all driven by the State Police.

So I've identified new responsibilities. Monitoring social media. When we have a white supremacist who telegraphed on social media that he was going to go to my hometown of Buffalo and slaughter ten innocent people shopping in a grocery store. That was out there on social media, so I doubled the size of our capacity watching for credible threats.

You may be in that space someday and how important that is. My job is to make sure you have the tools you need. I've increased budgets over 27 percent when others are cutting and talking about defunding police. We're not defunding police. We are refunding the police. We're making sure they have all the resources they need, and you can count on that.

And one thing I'm really proud of because of our ramped-up efforts, there are now 3,300 fewer guns in the hands of criminals in the State of New York. That is what we're focused on, because my number one job, and your number one job, is to keep New Yorkers safe, full stop. And nothing, nothing, will ever get in the way of that mission.

Because that's what the people of our State are counting on all of us to do. So at the end of your time, you're not thinking that far down the road, but it's going to come at some point. I want you to remember this day. Remember the sense of awe and expectation and excitement and pride that you felt and “I finally got there, I achieved my dream” and you did it.

But it's not about today. It's about the end of your career. What will your legacy be? What will people say about you and your contributions and perhaps the lives you saved that you may never know? And those conflicts that you resolve without violence. All of those, all of that, is what I hope that you better look on in your life.

Because those are my expectations as your governor. They're high. There’s 4,400 people who thought they could do it, and I have 230 who are sitting here today. That is extraordinary. And finally, never forget the Bible. What was said in Matthew, “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Today you go forth as New York's peacemakers. That is your responsibility. You'll see things you never saw before. You'll experience things that you never imagined. But again, before you leave this planet, you must be able to say, “I made a difference. I was a peacemaker.”

Congratulations to every single one of you, to your families, to your friends. This is a great day for all of you. It's a great day for us here in the State of New York to know that all of you will be out there serving all of us. And I want to say one last thing. May God bless you and keep you safe – keep you in his hands. And may God bless the great State of New York and may God bless America.

Thank you everyone.