Readers of an earlier post may have been puzzled about why NYPD Chief Bruce Smolka's unique talents would be in demand at a leading purveyor of beauty products for women.

I-Witness Video received this note over the transom from a legal observer who did not wish to be identified. It provides some insight into the history of the relationship between Revlon and the NYPD.

Revlon is owned by highly controversial billionaire Ronald Perelman (who rose to prominence, with his partner Michael Milken, through "corporate raiding" in the 1980s). Revlon does business with NYPD (and Revlon/Perelman was the central cause of the [former Police Commissioner Howard] Safir ethics violation charges).[1]

Perelman and Revlon have long made it a practice to hire politically connected figures as part of their own corporate strategies. Press reports have also pointed to Perelman's desire to hire NYPD "tough guys." And it would appear that Smolka is replacing 73-year old Tosano ("Tough Tony") Simonetti, a former NYPD senior official (who was also close to Safir/Giuliani and as a CCRB appointee [see bio] oversaw complaints involving Smolka). Perelman is also now the owner of the largest US-owned private security company (combining Allied, Barton and SpectaGuard).

These lucrative contracts for senior NYPD officials are increasingly common (and other key parts of law enforcement, a police variant of the so-called "revolving door"). While New York City has clear rules to avoid undermining the public interest through classic corruption, it has only weak guidelines to face this more subtle challenge.

The sad part is that, in a big way, Smolka will not be "getting out." Many senior NYPD brass will now be requesting his recommendation, which may decide the second part of their career (and the most lucrative part). Perelman's huge security firm alone is an enormous source of patronage. In the future, Smolka's view of their ongoing performance may be more important to some police brass than the Mayor's. That will weigh on their minds during many demonstrations to come.

More and more, police policy decisions are subject to private sector influence—even if it is an indirect and long-run type of influence.