NYPD Deputy Commissioner John Miller retires
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Friday was the last day on the job for NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller.
Miller announced in June that he was retiring after joining the department in 2014.
Miller is a former ABC News reporter and anchor who was the first to interview Osama bin Laden in 1998.
Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter spoke with Miller about how New Yorkers still feel unsafe even though crime stats are down in the city.
"When you walk around and you see the homeless encampments, you see a mentally unglued person acting out in the subway that you want to give a very wide berth to," he said. "Dirt bikes and motorcycles flying up and down the streets or riding on the sidewalks...while none of those things are particularly putting you in danger, it adds to the psychology of, 'When I look around, I don't feel safe.'"
Miller was met with a round of applause at a walkout ceremony marking his last day Friday afternoon.
He was saluted with bagpipes and an ovation from his colleagues as he exited One Police Plaza alongside his wife Emily.
He also served as the department's chief spokesman for the past year. He was first hired as a spokesman for the NYPD in 1994.
He says his immediate plan is to take a much-needed vacation and spend time with his family before he reveals his next career move.
You can watch the full interview with Miller on "Up Close" this Sunday at 11 a.m. on Channel 7.
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