National Police Association Podcast with Guest, Det. Vic Ferrari, NYPD (Ret.) Author & Podcast Host
This week, Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith sits down with retired NYPD detective Vic Ferrari—author, podcaster, and Bronx native—for a candid conversation about policing’s past and present in New York City. Ferrari traces his path from a car-obsessed kid to an NYPD detective specializing in auto crime, explains what Law & Order gets closer to right than most shows, and walks through how CompStat and stop‑question‑frisk were intended to work.
The discussion ranges across mayoral eras (Koch, Dinkins, Giuliani, Bloomberg, de Blasio, Eric Adams, and the mayor‑elect referenced in the conversation), internal culture and standards, interagency work, the impact of cashless bail, and current controversies. Vic shares a personal vignette from 9/11, reflects on public sentiment then and now, and outlines why many officers today fear getting in trouble more than getting hurt. He closes with how writing became therapy, why his book covers look the way they do, and where listeners can find his podcast.
In This Episode
- Growing up in the Bronx, early inspiration from classic cop shows, and joining the NYPD at 21.
- Ten years in the Auto Crime Division: chop shops, VIN switches, exports, and organized crime cases.
- TV vs. reality: why most police shows “speed things up,” and why Law & Order comes closest to the NYPD workflow.
- Becoming an author: why retirement in Florida didn’t stick, turning stories into nine NYPD books, and collaborating on covers (how he gets them made and why they’re humorous).
- Leadership and standards: internal scandals, lowered hiring bars, uniforms/grooming, and training culture.
- Cashless bail: Ruined Manhattan’s criminal accountability
- Interagency work & borough differences (e.g., wiretaps in Manhattan vs. the Bronx).
- 9/11: where Vic was, getting downtown, and how public sentiment shifted.
- Databases & oversight: debate around gang databases and political rhetoric.
- The future of the NYPD: potential attrition, “report‑taker” mindset vs. proactive policing, and generational change.
Notable Quotes (pull‑quotes)
- “Most cops today aren’t afraid of getting killed; they’re afraid of getting in trouble.”
- “CompStat was like chemotherapy—you have to know when to take your foot off the gas.”
- “After 9/11, we were cheered on the West Side Highway…and called scumbags again fifteen minutes later up in the Bronx.”
