Orthodox Jewish Community leader’s gathered this week with officials and dignitaries to express their gratitude to the NYPD’s Douglas Zeigler, a three-star chief tapped by NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly to take over the Community Affairs Bureau in 2006, who retired after nearly four decades of exemplary service and work.

Chief Zeigler dealt throughout his tenure with a wide range of sensitive issues involving many different communities.  He had reached the NYPD’s mandatory retirement age in June 2010 and announced his retirement early that month.

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Chief Zeigler was recently appointed as Security Director for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Zeigler, 63, will oversee security for the MTA and its force of thousands, including coordinating efforts and initiatives with the Department of Homeland Security.

Many heads of organizations and community and religious leaders praised Chief Zeigler as always being fair and exquisitely calm in sensitive situations in all of New York’s diverse communities.  He has a history of building bridges between communities and NYPD, and performed his duties nobly and consistently at all ranks, and with all responsibilities.

Present at the awards ceremony were Jewish-community leaders who worked with Chief Zeigler during his years of service.  The attendees all praised Zeigler as a “cop’s cop” with an honorable reputation.

Rabbi Yanky Meyer a noted community activist and founder of the Misaskim Organization had nothing besides praise for Chief Zeigler. “Chief Zeigler helped Misaskim in so many tragic incidents, it would not be possible to list them”, Meyer told YWN.

“Chief Zeigler was given an appreciation award that was signed by the greater Jewish community of New York, as a token of appreciation for his leadership and wonderful working relations with the Jewish community,” said Rabbi Abe Friedman, a community leader and Police Chaplain.

Rabbi Mayer Melnick also a police chaplain, and an activist whose worked extensively with Zeigler through the years, praised him and his legacy.

Commissioner Ray Kelly has been quoted as saying that police-community relations have never been healthier or more cooperative than under the leadership of Chief Zeigler.

Zeigler was replaced by Chief Philip Banks

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(Moshe Altusky – YWN)