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Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik was remembered as a “fearless” leader who helped New Yorkers get through the darkest days of the 9/11 terror attacks before his death Thursday.
The ex-Big Apple top cop, 69, died surrounded by family from a heart-related condition following a high-profile career in law enforcement that had its triumphs and controversies.
“He became police commissioner when they thought crime couldn’t be reduced any further, yet he reduced it further. His work helped New York become the safest big city in America and a shining example of urban renaissance,” former mayor Rudy Giuliani said in a statement.
“Then he faced the worst foreign attack since the war of 1812 on American soil—September 11th. He was at my side within 20 minutes of the attack and never left.”
“Bernie’s leadership helped guide the people of a very frightened city to draw from their inherent individual strength as Americans and children of God,” added Giuliani, who appointed Kerik police commissioner in 2000.
He served about 16 months in the leadership role.
“Bernie could be the most fearless guy I know,” Giuliani also told The Post Thursday night.
“When he was police commissioner, he personally made arrests. You know what that did for morale? The cops loved it. I loved it. The public loved it.”
Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement that he visited Kerik at the hospital Thursday afternoon, calling him a friend he’s known for almost 30 years.
“He was with his loved ones, who are in my prayers tonight,” Adams said. “He was a great New Yorker and American. Rest in peace, my friend.”
Kerik started out as an NYPD cop in 1986 before he left the force to join the city’s Department of Correction, being named its commissioner four years later by Giuliani.
The former mayor said in his Thursday interview that Kerik excelled at curbing violence at Rikers Island during his stint in charge.
“60 Minutes did a piece calling Rikers Island the worst jail complex in America,” he said. “They came back five years later when Bernie was in charge and they couldn’t believe the turnaround they saw.”
Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa said he worked with Kerik to help keep New Yorkers safe.
“I remember Bernie when he was an undercover cop in Times Square. He had a ponytail,” Sliwa, who is running for mayor as a Republican, said. “He was street savvy. He was a street cop. He was a cop’s cop.”
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella called Kerik a “true patriot.”
“Bernie Kerik served our city and nation, well,” he said. “He was a true patriot, especially during and after September 11th.”
Those who knew him personally described him as a loyal supporter and family man.
“In public, he had a tough exterior. Privately, he cherished his family, wife and kids, cops and he was always there for me and my family,” Kathy Vigiano, a retired cop and widow of 9/11 hero Det. Joseph Vigiano said.
National figures also poured in their condolences to Kerik’s loved ones.
“Heartbroken about the loss of our dear friend Bernie Kerik,” US Attorney General Pam Bondi tweeted. “Prayers to Bernie’s family and many friends.”
FBI Director Kash Patel called Kerik “a warrior, a patriot, and one of the most courageous public servants this country has ever known.”
“His legacy is not just in the medals or the titles, but in the lives he saved, the city he helped rebuild, and the country he served with honor,” Patel said.
While Kerik had a remarkable career in law enforcement, including heading up a provisional police force in Iraq following the US invasion of the Middle Eastern nation in 2003, he later served four years in federal prison when he pleaded guilty to eight federal felonies, including tax evasion, in 2009.
Additional reporting by Larry Celona.
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