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Oral history interview with Robert Nero, 2015

Creator: Nero, Robert
Project: New York Police Department Guardians Oral History Collection.
(see all project interviews)
Phys. Desc. :Transcript: 58 pages sound file : digital preservation master, WAV files (96 kHz, 24 bit)
Location: Columbia Center for Oral History
Full CLIO record >>

Biographical Note

Robert Nero is a retired trustee of the Guardians Association. As a member of the Housing Police for 29 years of his 35-year career, 1966 to 2001, he served on the Executive Board of the Housing PBA, and was the vice president for the Housing Guardians Association. During that time he worked on patrol and then as a community affairs officer. He transferred to NYPD in the merger of 1995 and continued with community affairs

Scope and Contents

Robert Nero focuses on his work with the Housing Guardians Association, and later the NYPD Guardians Association as an active member and then a retired trustee. He also talks about his views on community policing from his perspective as a Housing Police officer in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, and the importance of building those strong relationships if the NYPD is going to improve in the future. He discusses the impact of racism on officers' careers, from gaining employment and promotions, to harassment and officer safety. While great strides were made during his time on the force, he also expresses how much is left to be done. Other topics include his perspective on community perceptions of police violence, life growing up in Queens, his time in the military during the Cuban Missile crisis

Subjects

Access Conditions

Copyright by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, 2015

Using this collection

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