The replacement of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge with former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik is a startling contrast but one that seems to appease everyone. Kerik is not a career politician; he has humble beginnings and has been an operator in the thick of things. His claim to fame is being a local emergency responder rather than a Fed or a politician, granting that he was the Police Commissioner of New York City. One criticism is that Kerik has not had the managerial skills to work on a state or federal level even though New York City is a large and complex jurisdiction. However, he has also worked overseas: he was involved in rebuilding the Iraqi police force and has been involved in the security field for his entire career. He has been a strong advocate of urging lawmakers to encourage information sharing between federal and local entities and has publicly commented on the problems of disparate agencies not sharing information. There are a variety of factors that make Kerik a shrewd choice for Homeland Security Secretary that include knowledge of the problem and visions, management expertise, image, and politics.

Understanding the problems of homeland security is an important asset for a Cabinet-level position but so is the ability to bring the disparate sectors of sprawling Department of Homeland Security together as well as dealing with external concerns. While Governor and then Secretary, Ridge had the daunting task of overseeing the creation of the first new department in recent history; DHS is still an organization finding its way and still has a long way to go. Kerik probably has a pretty good vision for understanding the needs of nation to ensure homeland security, especially from the bottom up, which has been sorely lacking in the past. Being able to manage this is another question. Kerik was known for his tenacious nature and achieving real results with measured dropping crime rates in New York City. Obviously, this position is a much bigger task, and a daunting one. Only time will tell how this skill at the national level plays out.

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