Jamiel Altaheri

Captain Altaheri's previous assignments include the 70th precinct, Bronx District Attorney's Office, Vice Enforcement Squad, Narcotics Division, Housing Bureau, PSA-1, Internal Affairs Bureau, Transit District 32, Homeless Outreach Unit, Employee Management Division, and the 20th precinct. Captain Altaheri is an NYPD certified Arabic linguist who reads, writes and speaks Arabic fluently.

Captain Altaheri holds a Master of Arts degree in human resource management from Seton Hall University. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree in business management and finance, and a Certificate of Achievement in accounting from Brooklyn College. He attained a Graduate Certificate in policing in a multicultural city from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.  He also received a Certificate of Achievement in criminal justice from the University of Virginia. Captain Jamiel S. Altaheri graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, on March 18, 2016, making him the first Muslim American police executive graduate.[14]  He attended pre-school through high school in the NYC Public School System. Altaheri also attended private Arabic School during the weekend and summer break in the downtown section of Brooklyn from age 5 until high school. As a young boy, Jamiel Altaheri's goal was to be a police officer and preacher. He grew up loving basketball and the New York Knicks. He played for both Junior and Varsity Basketball teams in Junior High School (MS 51) in Brooklyn. He also represented his high school (Telecommunication Arts & Technology) in the National Mock Trial tournaments.

Jamiel Altaheri is the co-founder of the NYPD Muslim Officers Society[13] and founder of the Yemeni American Law Enforcement Officers Association (YALEOA). He is a first-generation Yemeni immigrant,[15] whose daughter was bullied for being Muslim.[1] He has led New Yorkers in the Pledge of Allegiance in Mayor Bill de Blasio's third State of the City address.[16] He joined Mark Gjonaj and Councilman Ritchie Torres to rally against hate in the Bronx Community.[17] He was quoted during the press conference:

"As Americans of all faiths, we stand united to condemn the acts of hate and bigotry that has plagued the Jewish and Muslim communities. The hateful few that seek to divide us have betrayed the fundamental values that make America great. Americans are like one body, when one part of the body is in pain, the entire body is in pain,”[18]

Altaheri was featured on the PBS documentary Film "Poet against Prejudice"[19] directed by Faiza Almontaser and Bykids. he was traveled extensively and spoke at the Time theater, Lincoln Theater, Public, and Private schools promoting the film.[20] He was featured as a guest speaker at CBS News challenging the "Muslim Ban" and promoting peaceful dialogue among Americans,[21][22][23] Altaheri gave a speech in Sacramento, California to reclaim their identity, titled "Muslims Can Make America Great Again"[24][25] Altaheri was a guest speaker at the 2017 South by South West Conference in Austin, Texas[26] speaking on the importance of film and its significance on global understanding. Altaheri is the founder of the Yemeni American Community Center in the Morris Park Section of the Bronx, NYC. He led the efforts in uniting the Yemeni American Community in purchasing the center on December 21, 2017 which provides social, educational services and family support services to hundreds of people in the Yemeni and Arab American community.[7] As a result of his community work and outreach, he was selected as one the leaders in the Borough of the Bronx to receive a certificate of Merit and Proclamation.[27] Through his efforts and community involvement in the Yemeni American Community he founded the Yemen United Soccer Club, which has over 400 members.[8] The Club provides free sports tournaments and empowerment and leadership activities and serves as a safe haven for Yemeni American and underprivileged youth in New York City. Altaheri participated in a panel with local and world leaders to promote multicultural coexistence and peace in New York, and international cooperation for peace building in South Korea and Yemen.[28] Altaheri conducted numerous lectures, and discussions on the importance of diversity, community policing, collaboration and religious sensitivity in law enforcement to members of the United States Military, law enforcement personnel, and community organizations.[29] Altaheri was featured on the Catholic Star Herald highlighting his work in the field of comparative religion and promoting tolerance among the Abrahamic faiths.[30] Altaheri was featured on a panel discussion intended to promote diversity among students, faculty, administrators and community members in Indiana with Mary Badham, American actress most famous for her portrayed of Jean Louise “Scout” Finch in the 1962 film classic “To Kill a Mockingbird,” for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Justice Christopher M. Goff, Susan Bro, mother of Charlottesville victim Heather Heyer ad Rosalind Wiseman, best-selling author of “Queen Bee’s and Wannabe’s.[31] Jamiel Altaheri also made headline news in 2016 when he helped a terminal cancer-stricken man from Wisconsin with a final wish: to watch the Times Square Ball drop in person. Altaheri established a relationship with the family before the Wisconsin man died. His wife Diana made a surprise visit at his historic promotion on October 29, 2015[32][13]

Former LAPD and NYPD Police Commissioner Bill Bratton Tweeted an NYPD report on Altaheri's compassion and referred to Jamiel Altaheri as the "Real NYPD"[33]