New York Today: A Hispanic Police Commissioner?

Mary Altaffer/Associated Press New York’s 35,000 police officers are getting a new commissioner soon.

Heard of Rafael Piñeiro?

Unless you speak Spanish, probably not.

He’s the No. 2 at the Police Department under Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly.

And he’s all over Spanish-language media, thanks to Hispanic leaders, who want him take over the department when Bill de Blasio becomes mayor.

Mr. Piñeiro, 64, who was born in Spain and raised in Cuba, would be the city’s first Hispanic police commissioner.

El Diario, the city’s principal Spanish-language daily, has taken note. As have Fox News Latino, El Nacional in Venezuela and El Nuevo Día in Puerto Rico.

Over the weekend, Mr. Piñeiro was seen talking with Mr. de Blasio at Somos el Futuro, a conference of Hispanic lawmakers in Puerto Rico.

“We spoke briefly,” Mr. Piñeiro said in an interview. “But so did a lot of other people.”

He declined to say what they discussed.

But he said: “It’s good to be a role model â€" for people of Hispanic descent, or any descent, to know there’s someone who came to the U.S. at 12, penniless, and was able to make an impact.”

Here’s what else you need to know for Tuesday.

WEATHER

Snow. Are you happy now?

More like an autumn slushy than a winter wonderland, with a little rain mixed in. But still, flakes are predicted this morning as temperatures fall. High of 42 as the clouds clear.

And then: bring in the tomatoes from the fire escape â€" it’s going to freeze. Low of 29.

COMMUTE

Subways: Click for latest status.

Rails: Click for L.I.R.R., Metro-North or New Jersey Transit status.

Roads: Click for traffic map or radio report on the 1s.

Alternate-side parking is in effect the rest of the week.

COMING UP TODAY

- Mayor Bloomberg speaks at a memorial in the Rockaways marking the 12th anniversary of the crash of Flight 587.

- Learn how to find your relatives’ military records at a workshop given by the National Archives downtown. Noon. [Free, reservations recommended]

- Robots built from scrap metal and programmed by General Electric play heavy metal in Union Square. 1 p.m. [Free]

- A programat the Metropolitan Museum of Art built around the 1938 Balthus painting “Thérèse Dreaming” includes a performance by Dar Williams, Mozart piano music and a psychologist discussing teenage desire. 6 p.m.

- Laurie Anderson, the widow of the late Lou Reed, will be honored at the New York Neo-Futurists’ annual benefit tonight.

- For more events, see The New York Times Arts & Entertainment guide.

Joseph Burgess and Kate Taylor contributed reporting.

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