Michael S. Schmidt

April 28, 2010, New York Times — The chef Daniel Boulud was shown how to use a Taser gun. The television anchor Dan Rather  joined in a search for a robber at a housing project. The media tycoon Barry Diller  was assigned to the Police Department’s harbor unit.

Hundreds of high-profile New Yorkers over the years have participated in a program of the New York Police Department and the privately run New York City Police Foundation, allowing them to accompany task-force units, visit precinct station houses and observe the workings of the counterterrorism division.

The program is set up to open the world of policing to outsiders so they can experience and better understand the day-to-day tasks of police officers and their bosses. The program, known as Commanding Officer for an Evening, also produces another outcome: it raises money for the department.