Richard A. Falkenrath
Encyclopedia
Richard A. Falkenrath, Jr. (born March 25, 1969) was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Counter-Terrorism of the New York City Police Department
on July 10, 2006. He is the third person to hold this position. His predecessors were Frank Libutti
and Michael Sheehan
.
, with degrees in economics and international relations. He holds a Ph.D from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, where he was a Marshall Scholar.
's John F. Kennedy School of Government
, first as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
; then as Executive Director of the Center; and finally as Assistant Professor of Public Policy.
Additionally, during this time he was founder and co-Principal Investigator of the Executive Session on Domestic Preparedness; a member of the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction (the “Gilmore Commission
”); a member of the Board of Visitors of the National Emergency Management Institute; a member of the Director of Central Intelligence
's Nonproliferation Advisory Panel; a Visiting Research Fellow at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik; and a consultant to the Defense Science Board
and the RAND
Corporation.
presidential transition team, where he was involved in preparing for the presidential transition within the National Security Council
. Immediately after the January 2001 Presidential Inauguration
, Falkenrath joined the White House
staff, where he served until May 2004. His initial position was Director for Proliferation Strategy on the National Security Council staff, where he was responsible for biological weapons proliferation and preparedness, missile defense
, and Asian proliferation issues.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Falkenrath was named Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Policy and Plans within the Office of Homeland Security. In January 2003, he was promoted to Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor. In these capacities, he was responsible for developing and coordinating all aspects of U.S. homeland security
policy and law, as well as counterterrorism threat assessment and response at all levels. He was the principal author of the National Strategy for Homeland Security
and was centrally involved in the stand-up of the Department of Homeland Security, the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (the predecessor to today’s National Counterterrorism Center
), and the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center
.
After leaving the White House, Falkenrath became the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.
He was also an advisor and spokesman for Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection campaign and a security analyst at CNN.
, and currently resides in New York City
with his wife and two children.
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
on July 10, 2006. He is the third person to hold this position. His predecessors were Frank Libutti
Frank Libutti
Frank Libutti is a retired United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General who also served as the head of the New York City Police Department's Counter Terrorism Bureau, Deputy Police Commissioner, and oversaw the Department of Homeland Security's intelligence operations as Undersecretary for...
and Michael Sheehan
Michael Sheehan
Michael Sheehan may refer to:*Michael Jarboe Sheehan, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe*Michael Sheehan , Irish independent politician...
.
Education
Falkenrath is a summa cum laude graduate of Occidental CollegeOccidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
, with degrees in economics and international relations. He holds a Ph.D from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, where he was a Marshall Scholar.
Academic career
From September 1993 until December 2000, Falkenrath worked at the Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
, first as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is a permanent research center located within the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The center's current director is political scientist Graham T. Allison....
; then as Executive Director of the Center; and finally as Assistant Professor of Public Policy.
Additionally, during this time he was founder and co-Principal Investigator of the Executive Session on Domestic Preparedness; a member of the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction (the “Gilmore Commission
Gilmore Commission
Gilmore Commission is the informal and commonly used name for the U.S. Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction....
”); a member of the Board of Visitors of the National Emergency Management Institute; a member of the Director of Central Intelligence
Director of Central Intelligence
The Office of United States Director of Central Intelligence was the head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the principal intelligence advisor to the President and the National Security Council, and the coordinator of intelligence activities among and between the various United...
's Nonproliferation Advisory Panel; a Visiting Research Fellow at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik; and a consultant to the Defense Science Board
Defense Science Board
The Defense Science Board is a committee of civilian experts appointed to advise the U.S. Department of Defense on scientific and technical matters...
and the RAND
RAND
RAND Corporation is a nonprofit global policy think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the United States armed forces by Douglas Aircraft Company. It is currently financed by the U.S. government and private endowment, corporations including the healthcare industry, universities...
Corporation.
White House
In December 2000, Falkenrath joined the Bush-CheneyGeorge W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000
This article is about the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush, winner of the 2000 presidential election and re-elected in the 2004 election.See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his presidency, and George W...
presidential transition team, where he was involved in preparing for the presidential transition within the National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
. Immediately after the January 2001 Presidential Inauguration
Presidential Inauguration
A Presidential Inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. To see detailed information on specific presidents, see the links below:* Brazilian presidential inauguration* Croatian presidential inauguration...
, Falkenrath joined the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
staff, where he served until May 2004. His initial position was Director for Proliferation Strategy on the National Security Council staff, where he was responsible for biological weapons proliferation and preparedness, missile defense
Missile defense
Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. Originally conceived as a defence against nuclear-armed Intercontinental ballistic missiles , its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged...
, and Asian proliferation issues.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Falkenrath was named Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Policy and Plans within the Office of Homeland Security. In January 2003, he was promoted to Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor. In these capacities, he was responsible for developing and coordinating all aspects of U.S. homeland security
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
policy and law, as well as counterterrorism threat assessment and response at all levels. He was the principal author of the National Strategy for Homeland Security
National Strategy for Homeland Security
The United States National Strategy for Homeland Security is a formal government response to the events of September 11, 2001 at the Pentagon and World Trade Center. The document issued by President George W...
and was centrally involved in the stand-up of the Department of Homeland Security, the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (the predecessor to today’s National Counterterrorism Center
National Counterterrorism Center
The National Counterterrorism Center is a United States government organization responsible for national and international counterterrorism efforts. It is based in a modern complex near McLean, Virginia called Liberty Crossing...
), and the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center
Terrorist Screening Center
The Terrorist Screening Center is an FBI organization for identifying suspected or potential terrorists.It maintains a database, the Terrorist Screening Database , the aim of which is to contain information about all known or suspected terrorists, and makes this information available to a number of...
.
After leaving the White House, Falkenrath became the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He was also an advisor and spokesman for Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection campaign and a security analyst at CNN.
NYPD
At the NYPD, Falkenrath has criticized the federal government for reducing homeland security funding for New York City's subways.Family
Falkenrath was raised in Mendocino, CaliforniaMendocino, California
Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...
, and currently resides in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with his wife and two children.
Affiliations
He is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group.External links
- Official biodata at NYPD Web Site
- William Finnegan, 'The Terrorism Beat: How is the N.Y.P.D. defending the city?" The New Yorker, July 25, 2005